Culture Shock
by Otaku of the Century
Summary: It's been over a year and the world still hasn't been saved and a certain immortal is bored. The Goddess of Mercy thought it would be more amusing if she sent four girls from Japan to travel with the Sanzo-ikkou, so she did exactly that. Goddess of Mercy, my ass! More like pain and torture! Sanzo-ikkou/OCs
1. Prologue: The Great Heroes of Japan

Hello, Folks!

This is going to be my very first Saiyuki Story but I'll do my best to make it a good one!

I'll do my best!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Saiyuki (anime or manga) and its characters. I only own Kasumi, Aoi, Suzume, Yuki, and any other character that isn't in the manga or anime.

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><p>Culture Shock<p>

Prologue: The Great Heroes of Japan

_Long ago, youkai used to share the land with the humans and lived with them in peace. It wasn't uncommon for a youkai to be friends with a human. The land where they resided was called China._

_Youkai lived in Japan, too. But the youkai there were different. They considered themselves far more superior than humankind. Some of the youkai had the minds of an animal and ate human flesh as food and sometimes killed for pleasure._

_Among the humans, only few fought against the youkai._

_Ninjas and samurais, who fought against the youkai more than they fought each other, were people who could defend themselves better than the common folk. They relied on their own strength, skill, and grace to entrap the youkai. The ninjas were the people of the shadows while the samurais were warriors of the light. To make these completely different people collaborate was a feat but the youkai forced them into it._

_There were demonslayers, people who devoted their life on killing youkai. They used the bones of the dead youkai to forge their blades that were sharp enough to cut metal. They used every strength that the youkai had against them and protected villages against youkai hordes._

_There were also Priests, Monks, and Mikos who protected their fellow humans from the youkai by purifying the seemingly immortal creatures. Beads, sutras, or weapons could be used at their disposal. They were hated by the youkai more than the demonslayers._

_The battle between humans and youkai dragged on for centuries. It seemed as if the bloodshed would never end._

_Then, the troops of China came._

_Their troops were made up of both youkai and humans. The foreigners' technologies were far more superior to their own. This wasn't the first time the people of Japan encountered people from China. China had traded with them and had sent their monks and priests to the island to make peace with them. The Japanese had heard rumors about youkai living in peace with the humans but they had never seen it with their own eyes._

_Their leader, Daisuke, was a youkai._

_Amazement turned into horror when the machines that the foreigners brought began to tear down their beloved forests, dirtied their rivers, and tainted their air._

_Daisuke and his men didn't come to Japan to sightsee, they came to Japan to stay. It turned out that Daisuke was banished by his kind for his different thoughts and destructive plans. He decided to get back at them by forming a stronger army and making Japan his army base. He declared war against Japan and began to conquer the small island._

_Many people died and the land began to die with them._

_Then, the impossible happened. The intelligent of the youkai and the humans of Japan made an uneasy alliance to drive away the unwanted foreigners._

_The War of the Youkai began. The war went on for three years and it would've lasted longer if it weren't for the collaboration of four different girls._

_The Heroes of Japan_

_They challenged Daisuke and, after a long battle that wiped out all living things that were within the radius of the battle, they were victorious._

_They parted ways after the war and went on with their normal lives. _

_They expected to live in peace for the rest of their lives._

"Well," Kanzeon Bosatsu murmured while watching the four mortals down below, "this is going to be fun!"

_Not very likely_

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><p>This is just an introduction so yeah, it's pretty short.<p>

But you'll meet my main characters in the next chapter so please read it?

Oh, and...REVIEW!


	2. Fate's Hand

Okay! Now this is where the story really starts!

(Clears throat)

I DO NOT own Saiyuki or its characters! I only own Yuki, Suzume, Aoi, and Kasumi (plus the extra, unimportant characters that aren't part of the manga)

Enjoy!

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><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 1: Fate's Hand

On a great mountain behind a small village, there was a small cottage. Everything around that cottage seemed peaceful, a promise of another wonderful day.

"Yuki-sama," a small, high voice trilled, "wakey, wakey! It's time to WAKE UP!"

The tiny voice's volume grew dramatically at the end of its sentence.

A silver-haired girl groaned and threw her pillow at the direction of the annoying sound. She heard a frightened squeal and the sound of her pillow making contact with something small.

She sighed contently and grabbed another pillow to block the sunlight.

"That wasn't nice, Yuki-sama! You almost hit me right there!" The voice suddenly trilled again. Yuki felt herself being rolled out of the bed. She jumped up and grabbed the tiny creature by its neck. "Don't you dare Komu, or I'll wring your neck!"

Komu laughed nervously at his Lady's threat. Although Yuki looked as young as a short, fourteen year old, she was still able to wrap her fingers around Komu's throat. Komu also knew that if he annoyed her far enough, she would make her threat come true.

He didn't want that.

"My a-apologies, Yuki-sama! I just wanted to let you know that the food in the storage is running out. The remaining is either rotten or unripe." He said quickly. Yuki sighed and released the crow youkai.

"This means that I have to back down to the human village, huh? How troublesome." Yuki yawned and jumped out of bed. "But that just means I have to buy more food so I wouldn't have to go down there for a while."

Komu restrained himself from slapping his forehead. The last time she visited the village was a month ago and she bought everything in the market. He was surprised that the whole marketplace didn't go out of business because of her. The problem wasn't the amount of food that they bought, but the amount that his lady consumed every day.

His lady ate more than a dozen men.

"Yuki-sama, do you want me to accompany you to the human village?" The crow youkai offered, though he honestly didn't want to. To his relief, Yuki waved his offer away as if it was an annoying fly. "Don't bother, you'll scare everyone with your freaky appearance."

Komu, a bit offended by his lady's statement, looked himself over to check. To his opinion, he looked _fine_! His feathers gleamed under the sun. His height was equal to the size of an average rooster, which was common for the crow youkai his age, and his beak and talons were well sharpened, the very image of a perfect crow youkai.

_His mistress was a blind fool!_

Yuki twitched. "You just thought that I was a blind fool, didn't you?"

Komu immediately denied it. "No! I would never think such a thing!"_ Did she read my mind?_

"No, I did not read your mind."

"I-I never thought such a thing! Yuki-sama is just making guesses!" Komu interjected. "You're being unfair, my lady!" _She really can read my mind!_

"Liar," Yuki stated without doubt in her voice, "you were thinking that there was nothing wrong with how you look. Well here's my opinion of you: A fat, mini-crow stuffed into clothing like a doll that_ talks_ in complete sentences."

"But those parrots talk too!"

"In complete sentences? It's a miracle that those birds could even repeat _words_!" Yuki shot back. "Humans react negatively just to how I appear and I resemble them the most out of the two of us. They'll fry you alive like some chicken dish if they saw you, not to mention when they hear you. It's better of I go alone."

Komu was about to retort but Yuki cut him off. "Didn't you hate going to the human village, anyways? Look after the house for me."

Yuki was out of the house before Komu could open his beak.

"Yu-YUKI-SAMA! THAT WAS SO MEAN!"

"Yeah, whatever. Just make sure the place is still standing when I come back or you'll be dinner." Yuki lightly threatened.

"B-But I don't want to be dinner!" Komu wailed at Yuki's retreating figure. "Why must you abuse me so, Yuki-sama? Why? WHY?"

Yuki snickered.

Komu was so naïve and easily scared by her obviously untrue threats, but that's what made him so entertaining compared to the past servants that she had. He was surprisingly lenient with her despite his young age.

Yuki's mouth opened impossibly wide as she yawned. She trudged on toward the human village. She wouldn't really roast the crow youkai for dinner.

It would be a pain to pick out all those glossy feathers anyways.

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><p>A masked figure with blue eyes landed in front of a village's entrance with an overgrown bag slung over the person's shoulder. Children came out of their homes and surrounded the person and the bag.<p>

The children were all thin and dirty. Some of them barely fit into the clothes that they wore. Yet, they smiled with so much happiness. These children were abandoned because of the blood that they carried. One parent was a human while the other was a youkai.

They were Hanyou.

"Shadow-san! This is amazing! How did you manage to get all of this food?" The children gaped in amazement.

Without answering, the person rummaged little cakes and coins from the bag and handed them to the children's expectant palms. "Wow! We can buy a year worth of food with this money! Thanks, Shadow-san!" A girl thanked graciously.

The person patted the child's head and took off without a word.

"Shadow-san" was just a nickname that this thief earned through years of stealing from the nobles. That thief always hid his face and was talented with disappearing. He stole from the nobles and gave the money to the poor. It was rumored that he was a youkai with a beautiful face that would bewitch any woman and a charm that attracted everyone, man or woman.

"Shadow-san" landed on a thick tree branch and stayed there to take a short break. The thief's ears perked up when the sounds of people were heard.

The thief sighed and watched with faint amusement at the sight of the humans crawling around the forest, looking for her. "Look harder, men! The bastard, Shadow, should be in the forest somewhere. His head is worth a fortune so don't mind about killing him!"

Growing more bored by the minute, "Shadow-san" decided to take a nap to pass the time.

It took three, long hours for the humans to leave. Hints of sunlight shone through the trees and the chirping birds roused the masked thief from sleep. "Shadow-san" giggled and took off his mask with a relieved sigh. "Man, that mask was so stuffy! I can't believe I could survive that long with it on!"

"It's impressive on the amount of time they spend on looking for something that's right above their heads. " Long, orange hair tumbled to the thief's waist and a pair of fox ears sprung out, relived for its overdue freedom. "Too bad they still think that I'm a guy."

The thief reached under her shirt and tore off the bindings that she painstakingly wrapped around her chest the day before. "Don't need this anymore! The kids should be getting worried or suspicious by now. Darn! What kind of excuse should I make up now?"

Correction: "Shadow-san" is a female fox hanyou with a knack of stealing things under people's noses when they deserve it. She is also the oldest of the fourty-six hanyou of the tiny 'village'.

"Kasumi-nee! Shadow-san visited us last night!" A Hanyou child excitedly jumped onto Kasumi's back the moment she entered the village gates. "You should've seen him!"

"…Meh, that doesn't beat a good nap." Kasumi said tiredly. "Now get off so I can get a proper sleep!"

"Oh no you don't!" A hanyou, only a bit younger than her, stopped Kasumi from entering her personal hut. "You're the oldest! That means you have to take the responsibility of taking care of us!" _Again_. Kasumi silently added.

"Yeah!" Another hanyou joined in. "It's your turn to shop for us, Kasumi!" He held out a bag of money.

"Please?" The younger hanyou chorused. _Who could say no to those big, brown eyes?_ Kasumi wondered.

Kasumi rubbed her eyes and snatched the bag. "Fine I'll go and buy breakfast, but I want a long nap after this."

Those little slave drivers were** so** lucky that Kasumi loved them to death.

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><p>"DIE, DEMONSLAYER!" A snake youkai shrieked as he attempted to bite the lithe figure. His side was bleeding profusely and strangely, the wound wasn't regenerating as quickly as it was supposed to. If he didn't finish the fight now, he was done for.<p>

The youkai cursed his carelessness for being easily cornered by a _female _Demonslayer. A male would've been less shameful.

Strangely though, the female human had blue hair. Not a common trait amongst the humans. Aside from that, she looked like any other human. She smelled like one too.

It was fortunate that she had no armor on. It made killing the woman easier.

Wait, didn't she tell him her name before? What was it again?

Oh yes, it was Aoi. The name seemed much easier and shorter to label than "human woman" or "female Demonslayer".

Aoi took out a dozen shuriken and flicked them at the youkai's direction. "Presents from the ninja village that you destroyed. You certainly did a great job of killing many of the children and women."

The snake youkai hissed. "I was hungry! It was either our survival or theirs!"

"And I am just doing my job, sir. No hard feelings, right?" Aoi shot back while jumping back to avoid being hit by the youkai's tail. "It's a kill or be killed environment that you're living in, I understand."

"You killer!" The youkai spat. "You slaughter our kind for money! Only because we are what we are!"

Aoi smirked and suddenly stopped dodging. "Well, isn't the pot calling the kettle black? Weren't you doing the same thing to the poor ninja village?"

The snake youkai hissed and spat at the same time before making another desperate strike at the slayer. His teeth grazed the woman's traveling kimono, tearing the whole top apart. Aoi's eyes widened as she grabbed for the remnants of her kimono while attempting to cover her chest.

"Look away ya pervert!" She shrieked while turning away from the youkai. "Do you men have no shame?"

The snake youkai, as desperate as he was, attacked the Demonslayer while her hands were full. "Please die, slayer. I choose to live."

Aoi's eyes flashed into a silver color and the snake youkai froze in horror. The force of the aura that poured out of Aoi prevented movement from the snake youkai. "N-no, this isn't possible! You are human! How can you control _youki_?"

The slayer ignored the youkai's question and bound the strips of cloth from her ripped kimono around her chest. She knelt down and picked up a shuriken. "I promised a little girl that I would cut you down. Did you know that you killed her father in front of her young eyes?"

"Life is temporary. I killed to eat so I could live."

Aoi nodded in agreement. "Yes, life is easily snatched away. But," Aoi paused and gave the youkai a piercing glare, "you didn't eat all of the humans that you killed. You left most of them to rot and be cried over. You killed them out of pleasure, you scum!"

The snake youkai hissed. "So what if I did?"

"I kill for the people who lost their loved ones because of the selfish desires of a youkai."

Aoi flicked the shuriken and sent it flying towards the youkai's own heart. Even at his dying moments, the youkai's sharp eyes noticed that the woman had a beautiful peony over her heart.

The peony on her skin was no tattoo.

"You're no different than us." The youkai sneered. "You're not even human! You're-"

Aoi ripped the shuriken from the youkai's chest and quickly slit his throat, silencing the creature from saying the cursed words aloud. She calmly wiped the blood from the weapon and pocketed it.

The dead body of the youkai transformed into a huge snake. The youkai's real form defined him perfectly. _He might be lucky enough to be reborn as a centipede if not a worm in another life._

Aoi's eyes caught sight of a small village. "How ironic, I didn't know that I'd end up in front of _this _village. Huh, I guess tracking youkai really do make people forget which direction they were going, though I swear I was no where near here when I caught him."

She shrugged. "Oh well! I need to restock for the way back home, anyways."

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><p>Screams echoed through the forest. An unfortunate traveling caravan was attacked by some wild youkai. Many were dead and their carcasses scattered on the forest floor, staining the road with a scarlet red.<p>

A pair of children huddled under the overturned caravan with their mother. Tears of terror sprung from their eyes as they watched their father was eaten alive. Their mother lay unconscious right next to them.

"Kami, please save us!" One child sobbed. "I don't want to die!"

As if to answer the young child's prayers, a glowing arrow tore through the air, piercing an unsuspecting youkai on its neck. It fell with a thud, gaining the attention of the other youkai. They saw their companion's body just in time to see it turn into ashes.

From the forest's mist, a woman donned in the clothing of a miko stepped forward with burning eyes. Her face was beautiful but a bit pale and, like other Japanese women, she had black hair and brown eyes. Her hair was waist-length and was tied back with a plain, white piece of cloth.

She scanned the scene with speculating eyes before notching another arrow. "Oh sinners who have killed." She chanted under her breath, "oh sinners who have shed innocent blood disappear under my holy light, for thee have committed an evil."

As she murmured these words, the iron end of the arrow shone with the same light that destroyed the youkai before. The surrounding youkai began to back away from the woman in either fear or confusion.

"Who are you to tell us this, _onna_?" One boldly spoke in a low voice. "You aren't one who is pure. You also smell of the stench of blood and death."

The woman didn't answer. Instead, she released the arrow. The flying projectile produced more light than it did before. The youkai had no time to flee. They didn't even have time to cry out in terror before they disappeared.

The children peeked from their hiding place. They flinched uneasily as the miko approached them. She stopped when she was a yard away and offered her hand. "Are you two alright? Don't worry, the scary youkai will never hurt you again." The woman said comfortingly. "Can I have a look at your mother? I need to look at her to help her."

The children, after a moment of reluctance, allowed the strange woman to kneel down in front of their mother. After checking her pulse, the miko reached into her traveling bag and took out a vial. She dropped four drops into the woman's mouth and waited.

To the children's awe and surprise, their mother sprung into life and began to cough. They scrambled to her and hugged her. "Oka-san! Oka-san!"

The children's mother weakly returned her children's embraces and looked up to the miko standing before them. "Thank you, great miko, for saving my precious children."

"No thanks needed. I was just passing by. What human being would turn the other cheek when a youkai is attacking the innocent? I was only doing my job." The miko brushed away the woman's thanks. "I'll stay to help bury the dead before I move along."

The dead were properly buried and the miko handed the mother a bag full of vials like the one that had woken her up before. "Here, if you get dizzy just drink it and you'll be energized until you see a proper doctor. There's a village only a mile away to the south. It's filled with priests so I doubt you and your children will encounter any more youkai."

The mother nodded in thanks.

One of the children, a girl, ran up to the miko as she was preparing to leave. "May I be bold enough to ask of your name, Miss?"

The miko raised her brow in amusement. "Now what use would my name give you, child? It isn't really worth much and it wouldn't fill your little stomach."

"I want to know the name of my savior." The girl said stubbornly. "I want to know the name of the woman who saved my life."

"Yare, yare you really are a stubborn one, aren't you? Very well then, you can have my name if you promise to never tell anyone else or your life will be in danger. Priests don't take kindly to people associated with me." The woman sighed. She beckoned the girl closer and whispered into the girl's ear.

After drawing away, the miko stood up and calmly walked away. The little girl watched as the fog swallowed the mysterious woman up.

The young girl mouthed the precious name and scurried off to her mother's side.

"Hey sis, isn't she going to the Village of Sleeping Mountains?" The girl's younger brother asked curiously. The girl nodded. "Yeah. I hope they treat her well."

"What did that pretty lady tell you, sis?"

The girl put a finger to her lips. "It's a secret."

"_**You are aware that I can see your future, correct?"**_

"_**Yes, everyone knows that Miko has the powers passed from the Gods."**_

"_**You will become an important person for this country. You also have an uncanny ability of spreading luck to the people around you. Make the right choices and treat it well."**_

"_**I promise. But Miss, you still didn't tell me your name."**_

**A smile**

"_**My name is Suzume."**_

The girl looked back at the mist and whispered. "Miss Suzume, I wish you lots of luck!"

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><p>"I hate shopping in a crowd." Yuki mumbled to herself as she pushed herself through the crowd of people. "I hate not being able to sleep even <strong>more<strong>."

Yuki grumbled to herself as she stopped in front of a **long** line in front of the apple stall. She mentally groaned but held it in. Apples were her favorite fruit and she wanted to buy them before she went back to her cozy mountain shack. It was like some sort of reward for her laborious hours of her slaving away to get the things that she needed.

Patience, she needed to be patient.

Wasn't that what her mother told her to be before she dumped her into the shack she now called home?

Yuki took a long, deep, shuddering breath before she faced the long, long line that would probably give her an hour (at least) of standing.

_Patience_, she reminded herself, _patience_.

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><p>"I want to get that rice cake!"<p>

"No fair! You got to choose the treat the last time! I want to get the red bean dumpling!"

"I want some sushi!"

"Ew, I hate raw fish!"

Kasumi sweatdropped as her "younger siblings" squabbled amongst each other. They had all decided that they wanted to come with her to the market and handpick their treats in the end. "Um, I think the dango stall is open why not get those instead?"

**Very** bad mistake

All little eyes turned on Kasumi and glared daggers that could kill. She paled and backed away. "…Or maybe not. Go on with your argument. Pretend I didn't say anything!"

The townspeople whispered amongst each other and gave the squabbling children dirty looks. One woman even spat at Kasumi's feet as she walked by. "Dirty half-demon bastards."

Kasumi didn't even bat an eye and ignored the act that was done to her. She went on watching the children she looked after argue with a small hint of amusement and pride. Her kids were strong ones, they were. Hanyou were usually victims of hatred and prejudice because of their mixed blood. They didn't belong anywhere, according to the public. They were abominations, neither youkai nor human.

This was normal for Kasumi.

Hopefully, the society will learn to accept her kind. They were already slowly beginning to after the war. Hanyou were allowed to shop in the same marketplace these days instead of being forced to hunt for themselves by the government.

"Hey! Let me GO!"

Kasumi snapped into attention when she heard one of the hanyou children screams. It was little Kiku, the youngest of the bunch. She was also the prettiest. A thug, who was currently grabbing her arm, slapped her. "Shut up, Brat! No matter how much you scream no one will come to help you! You're a freak!" The thug roughly inspected her face. "A freak with a pretty face, you'll fetch a hefty price."

"I think letting her go would be a good idea, sir."

Kasumi pried the man's arm away from Kiku. She gestured the others to take her away to a safer place. They all nodded and ran without any objections.

She had raised them well.

"Bitch!" The thug sneered and made a punch at her face. Kasumi easily avoided it by ducking. The thug, surprised for a moment that she had managed to avoid his punch, attempted to knee her in the stomach.

Kasumi blocked it with one hand and blinked at the thug, her blue eyes piercing his own. Her lips spread into a mischievous grin that resembled a fox's. She clicked her tongue chidingly. "Now, now, don't be so mouthy now just because you missed me. I want no violence. You can just walk away. No troubles and definitely no broken bones."

"You little vixen!" The thug sneered and spat at her feet, "We all don't want you here! Why don't you and your little band of freaks just die like you're all supposed to?"

Some people in the crowd that gathered during that span of time cheered in agreement. Kasumi's grin faltered a little but didn't disappear. "Now that wasn't very nice."

The crowd threw insults at Kasumi and her kind but Kasumi only focused on the thug.

"I _really_ don't want to cause any trouble."

"Don't talk to me with that kind of tone, Hanyou!" The man punched her with enough force to make her sprawl to the ground. Kasumi winced and touched her throbbing cheek. That was going to bruise.

Something feral flashed across her eyes for a moment but it was gone as fast as it came. She calmly stood up and faced the whole crowd who had gone silent. Even if she was a hanyou, she was a woman and it was looked down upon if a man slapped a female if she wasn't his wife.

The thug, realizing his mistake, backed away from her eyeing the katana at her side, cautiously.

"I just want to shop for what I need for my brothers and sisters and leave in peace. Is that really too much to ask? It's not like I wanted you to give up your first-born child." Kasumi said to the thug and the crowd with annoyance. "Just back off and the problem will just disappear."

Kasumi turned away and began walk away.

The thug picked up an impressive-sized staff that was conveniently right next to him and began to run at her with it raised over his head.

Kasumi, already sensing this, placed her hand over her katana.

Before Kasumi could unsheathe it, however, a shuriken was embedded deeply into the staff. The thug dropped the wooden weapon in surprise. Everyone looked to the direction of where the throwing projectile came from.

"Attacking a person from behind is shameful."

Kasumi's eyes widened in surprise before recovering. She smiled brightly and raised her hand up in greeting. "Hello stranger, long time no see!"

Aoi, with the youkai carcass slung over her shoulder, pointed a handful of throwing knives threateningly at the thug. "Bother my friend anymore and you'll be tasting my knives, **got it punk**?"

The thug nodded, mimicking a maraca. "Y-Yes, Demonslayer-sama. My sincere apologies, I-I didn't know she was your companion!"

"I'M SO SORRY!" The thug screamed in a girlish way and ran off.

Kasumi laughed. "Man, he looked like he was going to wet his pants!"

Aoi joined in on the laughter and slung the arm that wasn't supporting the carcass around the orange-haired girl's shoulder. "Yeah, it looked pretty pathetic, didn't it? How have you been, Kasumi my favorite buddy in the whole wide world?"

"Life's been peaceful. I'm taking care of a bunch of Hanyou kids now, you?"

Aoi shrugged. "You know us Demonslayers. We hack up a bunch of youkai and sell their body parts to the market, same old routine."

"You still kicking dumbasses at poker?" Kasumi asked under her breath so the crowd couldn't hear.

In a lower voice Aoi shot back at the comment, "Playing the thief hero again? I heard about you in the wanted papers, 'Shadow-san'. You sure know how to attract attention to yourself, with or without a mask."

"Hey, those rich lords were literally _asking_ for it when they flourished all those golden coins in front of the poor." Kasumi said defensively. "And it was all so shiny!"

Aoi rolled her eyes teasingly. "Typical of a fox like you."

Kasumi was about to make a rebuttal to their playful banter but was interrupted by a bellowing voice. "You! Both of you young ladies! You have soaked your hands in blood! Pray to the Buddha and you may be spared of punishment in the afterlife!"

A fat, short, Chinese monk waddled up to the pair and waved his chubby arms dramatically, hitting Kasumi in the face with his wooden beads. She yelped and jumped away so the beads wouldn't whack her in the face the second time. "Pray to Buddha! He is merciful!"

"Why should I pray to a fat man?" Aoi wondered aloud.

Kasumi shrugged from where she stood. "I dunno."

The man narrowed his beady, little eyes and pointed at Kasumi's fox ears. "Your parents have committed a terrible taboo! Repent and Buddha will give you a better afterlife without those ears!"

Kasumi touched her ears thoughtfully. "Well these ears **are** cumbersome to have all the time. It would be great to not have them on me at all."

The monk nodded. "Yes, that is why you have to pray to the Buddha!"

"But," Kasumi interrupted, "I was born with these. If your Buddha really is some all-powerful being, then why didn't he prevent all of us Hanyou to appear different than the others?"

"Buddha is no all-powerful being. He is only a master who will guild you both into a good life after your reincarnation." The fat monk said self-importantly. "I am his disciple as are many of my brothers back in my homeland."

"Hmm, give up meat and fighting to get rid of my ears." Kasumi pretended to think over it before turning away. "Nah, I'll pass."

"Me too." Aoi chimed in and began to run, grabbing Kasumi's hand. "Run!" She hissed, "These guys never give up when they want to recruit people into their wacky religion! This is the only chance to lose him!"

As they jogged away, the monk waddled after them in an alarmingly fast pace for a fat man. His baldhead reflected the sunlight like a mirror, enhancing the redness of his face as he plowed through the streets.

"REPENT, YOU FOOLS!"

* * *

><p>Yuki tapped her foot impatiently as the person in front of her <strong>finally<strong> stepped up to purchase two apples.

Yuki let out a breath in relief. The old woman in front of her dug into her bag. "Oh dear! I know I have my purse in here somewhere. Do you mind waiting a little bit, young girl?"

Filled with glee that the wait was finally over, Yuki shook her head. "Nope."

The old lady patted Yuki's head. "What a nice girl. I'll try not to take long."

The old lady dug through her enormous bag. "Now lets see…"

* * *

><p>"Get away from me, weirdo monk!" Aoi snapped, trying to pry off the overzealous monk from her leg. She has long since dropped her youkai carcass. Pity, she really wanted to make a new blade with its bones too. The monk only clinged on harder to Aoi's leg. "Not until you repent, young lady! You have killed too many and I can't avert my eyes from your crimes!"<p>

"I don't need any damn religion to repent! I don't even want to you crazy monk! Killing youkai is what I do for a living! I did it ever since I could throw a kunai knife!" Aoi told him in annoyance. "Leave me alone! And why aren't you trying to convince her to be a Buddhist?"

"A creature tainted with evil blood will end up in the deepest pits of hell anyways no matter how much she prays!" The monk said while panting, "You on the other hand have a chance! Drop your weapons and become Buddha's disciple!"

Kasumi gripped the monk's robes and tried to pull him off of her friend with no avail. "For a man who's out of shape, he has a strong grip!"

"Repent!" Spittle flew from the man's mouth, some landing on poor Kasumi. "Okay, why is everyone spitting on me today?" The Hanyou asked in frustration and disgust.

"Who cares?" Aoi shrieked, "Get him off of me!"

"Okay, okay, but this is going to take a while. This guy seems persistent."

"REPENT!" The monk screamed for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

"HELL NO!" Both Kasumi and Aoi chorused angrily.

* * *

><p>Yuki's foot was tapping impatiently again. Thirty minutes had already passed and the old lady was still digging through the black hole that she called her travel pack. Even the kind man selling the apples was a bit annoyed but to a lesser degree than Yuki's.<p>

"Oh dear, it seems that my wallet isn't in here."

Yuki relaxed her tense muscles. The old lady finally gave up on the wallet searching. Maybe she could now-

"I'll check my other travel pack."

"What the-?"

Yuki gaped at the bag that the old lady produced seemingly out of nowhere. It was two, no three times bigger than the last. How did the old lady even carry that thing? She slapped her forehead in despair.

"I thought these things only happened in stories and pieces of comedic literature." Yuki muttered to herself. "Out of all the people, why did it have to be me?"

The prospect of having a relaxing nap seemed so far away now.

* * *

><p>Suzume passed through the stalls of the market with a basket of herbs at her side. The village had treated her kindly and supplied her with the things she needed. Some mothers came up to her with their children and asked for her to read their futures and bless them with luck.<p>

"I'm sorry," Suzume had told them, "I have no control in my visions but I can give this child a protective charm to keep youkai and evil away."

This was a lie but Suzume didn't want to tell them that she saw a bloody battlefield in the children's future. She desperately hoped that the charms would help in the future though it would be doubtful.

"GET THIS NUTCASE OFF OF ME!"

Suzume blinked in surprise at the familiar voice. Aoi?

"I'M TRYING!"

Kasumi, too?

Suzume quickened her pace to where the scream originated. There was a huge crowd but many immediately cleared the way when they saw her. When she came to the center of the crowd, all whispers died out and all eyes were on her.

Suzume stared blankly at her two old friends and at the monk clinging onto one of them.

"REPENT! REPENT BEFORE YOU DIE!"

Kasumi's fox ears twitched and she looked up. A bright smile sprung from her face and she released the fat monk, sending him and Aoi flying into a random direction in the crowd. "Suzume, buddy! Long time no see!"

Suzume raised her eyebrows at her friend's antics. "Weren't you helping Aoi earlier?"

"Yeah and-oh my Kami! I just sent her flying, didn't I?" She slapped her forehead and scanned the crowd. When hear ears caught the muffled sound that sounded almost like a call of help, Kasumi dived into the crowd. "Don't worry pal, I got ya!"

Suzume shook her head and walked to where her fox-eared friend had disappeared. She waited patiently as the crowd separated so she could make her way. For once, she was thankful that they regarded her in such high standards. This saved the time and effort of pushing through them like Kasumi had done.

The monk was **still** clinging onto Aoi's leg, which was pretty impressive for a person who spent his days in a temple.

It was amazing what religion could do to people.

Kasumi struggled and then gave up with a hopeless shrug. "I guess you're stuck with the little guy, Aoi. I really can't get him off!"

"I'll give it a try." Suzume offered and knelt down to the monk's level. "Pardon me, respected monk but you seem to be bothering my friends. You followers of the Buddha are not supposed to touch the skin of a woman. Shame on you for doing so! I know that the temptations that a woman poses to a man but for shame! Even I, a Shrine Maiden, turn away from those temptations so I could serve and protect Japan's people." Suzume scolded the monk in fluent Chinese.

The monk looked up and glared at Suzume. "Witch! You cast your spells over these helpless people! They will loose their way because of you!"

Suzume's smile remained intact but a dark aura surrounded her, making Aoi and Kasumi back away in panic. It was her infamous 'I-am-smiling-but-I-really-want–to-kill-you-because-you-spent-all-of-my-patience' smile.

"Suzume, I think you're scaring the children." Kasumi called out nervously.

At the mention of the word "children", Suzume's dark aura disappeared without a trace and returned back to its soothing calm.

"You're right, I should-

Suzume froze and her eyes became distant. The villagers began to murmur and whisper in excitement. It was, after all, a very rare sight to see a miko in a deep trance while seeing visions.

The priestess snapped back into reality after a few seconds.

"No," Suzume said with eyes widening, "It will be **you** who will cause people to face misery!"

The monk paled and backed away. "How dare you!"

Both Kasumi and Aoi shared looks of concern. If Suzume says something bad will happen, something bad **will **happen no matter what.

"What did you see, Suzume?"

"A youkai horde is coming from the east. This monk didn't come here to Japan alone. Apparently, his companions fell in the hands of a youkai horde because they disturbed their nest. He fled to this village and the youkai are now following his scent to this village." Suzume sharply turned to the inhabitants. "They're coming!"

As if in cue, an eerie howl sounded form the distance. A villager screamed and chaos erupted from the crowd.

In the center of the chaos, Kasumi casually unsheathed her sword and grinned at her old war comrades. "So…anyone up for some youkai ass-kicking?"

* * *

><p>Yuki tapped her foot impatiently as the old lady took out the final item from her bag and shrugged helplessly. "Oh dear, it seems that I don't have my wallet. I'm so sorry for making you wait!" She apologized and Yuki sighed in relief. "No, it's fine Granny."<p>

"Wait!" The old lady suddenly perked up. She reached inside her robes and produced her wallet. "It was in my sleeve! I must've forgotten that I placed it in here!"

Yuki nodded. "Yeah, so do you mind paying so I can get my apples?"

"Of course!" The old lady beamed and opened her wallet. She took out her money coin by coin while counting aloud. "One, Two, Three…"

She stopped and looked up at the seller. "How much are these again? I seem to have forgotten."

"Twenty Yen miss."

"Okay, twenty yen then!" The old woman looked at the coins she had already counted. "Oh dear, I've forgotten how much I've put down! I'll count again."

Yuki's eye twitched.

* * *

><p>"Dibs on the youkai on the right!" Kasumi crowed happily while jumping into the fray of blood. Her sword hadn't tasted the blood of youkai for <em>years<em>. It felt nice to move around again. It wasn't that she loved killing things per se, but she loved the thrill that she got when she swung her sword. She knew Aoi felt that same about fighting though it was more of killing youkai than the thrill. She had a personal grudge against them.

_Don't we all._ Kasumi mused while quickly slicing the arms of a centipede youkai.

"You weak Hanyou!" A youkai hissed. Kasumi rolled her eyes. Again with the insults, she knew she was hated by the world, but would it hurt them to keep it to themselves once in a while?

"I know, I know, I should probably die and go to hell. I've been told that multiple times today and I'm sort of getting tired of it. Can we skip all of that and get to the part where I kill you?" Kasumi asked and slid her blade into the youkai's chest. "Thanks, I knew you would understand."

Aoi jumped onto a bat youkai's back and quickly sliced its wings off. "These would make a wonderful purse, don't you think Kasumi? Do you want one?"

"Wouldn't have any money to put in it." Kasumi reminded her friend. "Sell those and buy me dango. That sounds a bit better."

Aoi nodded. "Got it. Dango on me if we all survive."

"Focus or you'll allow one to get through." Suzume scolded.

A group of bull youkai barreled through all three of the women and into the market stalls. They were, unfortunately, the last part of the first wave of youkai hordes so it was a very embarrassing moment, seeing how well they put up before that.

Suzume's eyes became distant for a moment. When she recovered, she grabbed her friends' shoulders, preventing them from going after the demon. "Don't worry, they won't get very far. The villagers will be safe."

"How's that?" Aoi questioned, suspiciously eyeing Suzume's satisfied smirk.

"Never mind that. Pay attention, there will be another coming and its larger than the one we fought earlier. We don't want to repeat the same mistake twice, do we?"

Aoi and Kasumi grumbled to themselves but obeyed. Suzume took a last glance to where the youkai ran.

"Those poor, poor, youkai. Luck was never on your sides in the first place, was it?"

* * *

><p>"Thank you ma'am for buying these apples." The seller said politely, "Have a safe walk home."<p>

Yuki nodded and made a shooing movement. "Yeah, leave quickly so you won't bump into suspicious characters and get home earlier, Granny. You wasted enough time in the market."

"I will, dear. Now you hurry off to your mother after you get what you need." The old lady told Yuki kindly while pinching her cheek. Yuki jerked away, making no effort in hiding her annoyance in that action. "You will get back home safely, won't you young lady?"

Yuki hesitated before nodding. "Yeah…sure."

As the old lady walked away Yuki slumped in relief and placed her basket on the counter. "Make it five dozen apples please."

The sellers nodded and turned. "Of course, I'll-

Coincidentally, a group of bull youkai (yes, the same ones from before) knocked down the whole row of stalls, also crushing or dirtying all of the apples. Yuki stared in shock at the precious fruit she had been waiting to get for **such a long time**. The seller looked as if he was debating whether or not to run and abandon the little girl (Yuki) and save his ass. He, being both wise and cowardly, decided to take the latter choice and ran for it.

"Well lookie here, we seem to have a little girl for an appetizer!" A youkai sneered.

Yuki twitched at the 'little' comment and slowly looked up. The youkai took a step back when they saw the intense glare the 'little girl' was giving them. "Do you know what you all just **did**?"

"We destroyed a few things, so what? You're going to become a meal anyways so why bother worrying about your village?" A youkai said offhandedly. Yuki cracked her knuckles and began to walk toward the group of youkai. Amused, they stood there as she came. "What'cha going to do, kid?" One taunted. Yuki jumped up to the bull youkai's height, which was a great feat judging by her height compared to his, and punched his face…**hard**.

"I don't give a shit about what happens to this village. It can burn down to the ground, for all I care. But," Yuki paused before starting again in a darker tone, "You dirtied all of the apples I had to wait to get for three hours, you clumsy dumbasses!"

The youkai howled in pain as blood spurted from his crushed nose. Yuki landed on the ground and looked at her bloody sleeve in disgust. "Disgusting."

The other youkai tensed and readied their axes at the silver-haired girl. One charged at her and swung his ax. Yuki quickly jumped over the weapon and, without problem and effort, threw the youkai over her shoulder.

The youkai's head met the ground and his neck made a sickening crack, making his comrades flinch. Yuki dusted off her hands and stepped over the corpse.

"Which one of you idiots is next?"

* * *

><p>"GAAAAHHHHHK!"<p>

The trio looked up from their conversation and watched as the bull youkai ran out of the village, toward them. They had long before finished their battle with the second wave of youkai. It turned out that the other wave was only filled with minor, weak youkai that didn't stand a chance against the three. Kasumi sat up and picked up her katana. "Did you foresee this, oh great priestess?"

"No, I expected all of them to be killed in one sitting." Suzume said to herself in disappointment. "In a brighter note, this means that she's coming right behind them!"

"Who's she?" Aoi wondered aloud. As if to answer her question, a war cry sounded behind the youkai and a certain silver-haired girl appeared in their line of sight. Blood was smeared in her cheeks and her clothing appeared to be ripped and torn in many places. Her purple eyes had a maniacal gleam to it. If this were through a stranger's eyes, they would think that she was insane, which was excusable.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU COWARDS! I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!" She howled.

"Does she really expect them to come back to her?" Kasumi stared at the scene in surprise and amusement.

Aoi let out a breathless laugh. "Oh look, Yuki's here too. I guess Japan's Four Heroes are brought back together again by fate."

"Should we just put those youkai out of their misery?" Suzume asked her companions, "I'm beginning to feel sorry for them."

"Nah," The other two chorused, "Let them suffer."

Suzume shook her head but made no move to aid the youkai.

"You both are so heartless. Say, do you two want some dango? I think there was a stall back in the left and the dango there are still warm."

Screams of terror filled the air for the next hour or so and the three sat and ate dango while it all happened.

* * *

><p>The Goddess of Mercy laughed at the scene and clapped enthusiastically. "This is great! I like them! I think that they will be the most suitable of the candidates to make things more interesting for the Sanzo-ikkou!"<p>

Jiroushin, her assistant, sweatdropped at Kanzeon's antics. "I thought you said that you needed to find people suitable enough to break the barrier that's preventing the Sanzo-ikkou from entering India!"

"Yeah, yeah, that too." Kanzeon Bosatsu carelessly waved the comment off and went back to watching the women.

"I wonder," she mused, "if fate is now also playing in this game too."

Jiroushin shook his head confidently. "No, fate never takes a side or favors anyone. She merely chooses lives to mettle by random. It's impossible that she's doing this on purpose. The fact that she had brought these women together was just a coincidence."

Kanzeon slowly nodded. "Yes, that makes more sense. This was all just some coincidence that I will take advantage of."

The Goddess snapped her fingers and a finely dressed girl came to her side at an instant. "Yes, Kanzeon-sama? Is there anything that you need?"

"Yes, I need you to bring those four women over to me and make sure not to alert the other gods about this." Kanzeon ordered the girl. "And be quick about it."

"What the hell are you three doing here?"

The trio looked up from their conversation and dango. Yuki stood before them, covered in blood and dirt. Aoi grinned sarcastically. "Nice to see you too, old pal. Why don't you come over and sit with us? We still have about a handful dango left to share!"

A sandal sailed toward Aoi's head and she leaned back to avoid getting hit. "Now that's not very nice!" She scolded the shorter girl mockingly.

Yuki didn't respond to Aoi's jab and sat in between Kasumi and Suzume.

Kasumi patted Yuki's shoulder fondly while Suzume only smiled. "It's nice to see your face again. You haven't changed a bit since the war."

"Hn."

Suzume moved Yuki onto her lap despite of the purple eyed girl's protests and began to dab her face with a piece of cloth. "The blood was covering your pretty face. Red doesn't look good on you." She said simply.

Yuki stopped struggling and pouted.

Kasumi stood up and disappeared for a moment before appearing again with a pile of small kimonos. "I know these might look a bit girly, but they're your size." She offered the girl. Yuki blushed and muttered her thanks before changing into a lavender colored kimono.

Aoi's face softened and she produced a warm stick of dango and a plate of sliced apples. "You look hungry, kid. Eat up so you can grow."

"I'M NOT SHORT!"

Aoi chuckled and pushed the plate in the little girl's hand. "Yeah, but you still look hungry. Back in the war, you ate more than the three of us combined. I **know** that you're hungry. You just chased bull youkai around four hours _straight_."

Yuki hesitated before grabbing a dango stick and shoving it into her mouth with a muffled "thank you". Aoi smirked and handed her some more food.

Yuki felt slightly content with these women around her. She would never admit it aloud but she had missed having them around after the war.

_**If only all of you can remember…**_

Kasumi jerked up in realization. "Oh my kami! I almost forgot about the kids! They must be worried sick by now!"

"Yeah," Aoi said while standing up and brushing the nonexistent dust off of her lap, "I better get going. I promised a little girl in a ninja village that I would return this shuriken to her after I killed the youkai that destroyed her village."

Suzume gave Yuki an apologetic look. "I'd love to stay and chat a bit longer, but there is still so much of Japan that has to be cured and saved. I can't stay. Maybe we can all meet again?"

"Che," Yuki crossed her arms and sniffed, "I don't care at all if you're coming back or not! I was fine until you guys came back into my life and it's troublesome that you all are back! I can't wait until I see your asses out of this place! Good riddance!"

Suzume drew Yuki into a hug from behind. "You can't mean that. We'll miss you so much."

Yuki's lips trembled but she kept glaring at the ground. "I meant every word!" She gritted out. "I was fine being all by myself up in my little hut until you three came barging into my life like some sort of bomb! And to top it off, you all got me involved in your little war!"

Kasumi and Aoi patted the child's head. "We love you too." They sighed. They all knew what her words truly meant. They had been through war together for four years. They were separated for two years. Their bonds were much more than some petty friendship.

After a moment of silence, Aoi regretfully began to move away from the group. "I guess I have to go now…"

"**Not if I can do anything about that."**

The voice that came out of nowhere startled them all. They didn't even have time to react when they were _literally _blown away by a huge gust of wind.

"GAH! HELP ME!" Kasumi howled in fear.

Both Suzume and Aoi looked too shocked to even scream but fear was apparent in their eyes.

Surprisingly, Yuki was the calmest out of the four. There was no fear and she wasn't screaming her head off like Kasumi. It was as if she experienced this before…

The other three immediately erased that thought out of their mind. There was no way that their young friend could have experienced something like this.

"Did ya foresee this, priestess?" Aoi yelled through the wind. Suzume shook her head. Kasumi, meanwhile, curled up into a ball and screamed bloody murder. She wasn't really a fan of heights.

Then, the wind died down. Instead of dropping from the sky, the four remained suspended in the air. Yuki crossed her arms and glared at thin air. "What do you want, _Baa-san_?"

"How rude!" A scowling, very beautiful woman materialized from the thin air that Yuki was glaring at. "I took all the trouble of bringing you here so I can see my cute, little Yuki." She walked across the sky as if it was solid ground and stopped in front of the silver haired girl. "You've grown."

"No shit."

"Now, now, you've gained quite a mouth since your exile to the mortal world, haven't you Yuki?" Kanzeon asked in amusement.

Yuki grimaced. "What do you want, old hag? I still didn't finish my punishment. I still have to remain on Japanese ground for another century or so. It must be important if you smuggled me **and** these guys here."

Kanzeon chuckled and patted Yuki's head. "As I said before, you have grown. Yes, I need the help of both you and your friends. If you haven't heard, there is trouble in China."

"I heard about it," Aoi piped up, "The youkai in China are going out of whack because of this thing called the 'minus wave', right?"

Kanzeon gave Aoi a praising nod. "Bingo."

"What does that have to do with us being here?" Yuki grouched. The Goddess shushed the little girl and explained. "I sent a four man group led by a Sanzo Priest to India so they could put a stop to it. But there seems to be some sort of troublesome barrier blocking their road to India. This was probably Lady Koushu's doing."

"So you want us to break the barrier." Yuki guessed.

Kanzeon nodded.

"No," Yuki said flatly, "I hate doing troublesome things."

"This'll wipe away the century punishment and heaven will owe you a favor." Kanzeon offered. Yuki shook her head. "No way, old hag."

A tick mark appeared on Kanzeon's cheek. "What an unappreciative brat!"

"Stupid old hag!"

"Spoiled brat!"

"Old hag!"

"Brat!"

"Old hag!"

"Who's this 'Lady Koushu', if I may ask?" Suzume asked the Goddess politely, interrupting their little banter. Yuki answered instead. "Her full name is Gyokumen Koushu, the concubine of the Ox King Gyumaoh. I thought she was sealed along with that stupid oaf. What happened?"

"It seems that she wasn't sealed and managed to lift the seal on everyone, aside from Gyumaoh and his wife, of course." Kanzeon replied offhandedly. "She's trying to obtain the Five Scriptures of Heaven and Earth to revive him."

After hearing that sentence, Yuki immediately said, "I'm going."

The Goddess of Mercy raised her eyebrows. "Why so eager now? I thought you didn't like doing troublesome things."

"You already know why, Old Hag."

Kanzeon's lips turned up into a mischievous smirk. "You accepted. No take backs or regrets now. I won't send you back to Japan until you finish breaking the barrier. Oh, and your friends are coming with you too. The breaking of the barrier requires all four of you."

"What? You never said anything about that!" Yuki snarled.

"You never asked." Kanzeon replied simply as she snapped her fingers. "I'll be sending you four to China, where the Sanzo-ikkou are. Best of luck!"

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID THEY WERE IN INDIA!" Yuki yelled as she began to fall. "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY THAT THEY DIDN'T REACH INDIA YET?"

"You never asked."

"YOU SHITTY OLD HAG!"

* * *

><p>Groans sounded as the four slowly recovered from their fall. Although the wind did its best to cushion the group's fall, it still hurt.<p>

"Great job, kid. Now how am I going to get this shuriken back to the little kid?" Aoi asked angrily and winced in pain. Kasumi didn't look thrilled either. "The kids are all alone now! How are they going to survive on their own?"

Suzume's eyes became distant before it cleared. She smiled at the pair. "Don't worry, Kanzeon-sama made sure that all of those things are taken care of. Aoi, you don't have the shuriken, do you?"

Aoi groped for the shuriken in her pocket but her hand met thin air.

"See? It's going to be all right. The children are fine too, Kasumi, so be at ease. Yuki never meant any harm when she agreed to that mission, did you Yuki?"

Yuki ignored them and attempted to stand but collapsed. She tried again and again but failed because of her shaky legs. She made a note to punch Kanzeon's face in the next time she saw her. When she lifted up her head to try one more time, she felt something cold press onto her forehead. She froze when she saw a pair of boots in front of her face.

_Click_

"So they're even sending Brats to retrieve the Maten Sutra? How low."

* * *

><p>Yeah, I'm a bit tired so I'm going to stop here. I hope you readers liked it!<p>

REVIEW!


	3. Enter, The Sanzoikkou!

Hi again! I'm back with another chapter!

I want to thank the reviewers who reviewed this story and I'll promise to do my best with this one. I just LOVE Saiyuki and I hope this story could live up to the manga!

Thanks again and enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Saiyuki or its sequels or prequels. I suck at drawing (but am exceptional at writing) so don't even think that the amazing Sanzo-ikkou belong to me! I only own Suzume, Yuki, Aoi, and Kasumi! And the story idea!

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 2: Enter, The Sanzo-ikkou!

Yuki stared the man wielding the gun in shock. She even dared the shift her body to look at his face clearer.

The young (?) man wore the robes of a monk and a chakra mark on his forehead but that was the only thing that told her that he was a holy man. His blonde hair wasn't shaven like the usual monks and he had a cigarette in his mouth too. Yuki could also smell meat in his breath. He ate that for dinner maybe? Whatever it was, he wasn't the usual priest.

But his face…

"_What do you want, annoying brat? Can't you see that I'm busy? Go play with your Ane-ue and leave me alone."_

…His face looked so familiar, too familiar.

The Sanzo priest looked at the shocked girl in annoyance. "Well?" He asked impatiently, "Who sent you here?"

Yuki shook her head to clear her head. Now wasn't the time to mourn about the past. She needed to get this mission over as quickly as possible so she could get her friends back home. "Oi, Fake Monk, are you the Sanzo that Baa-san sent us to help?" She asked in Chinese.

A tick mark appeared on the blonde's cheek and her adjusted the gun. "So you really want to die that badly, Brat. Show some respect to your elders."

"Get away from Yuki, you bastard! She's just a kid!" Kasumi yelled angrily in Japanese.

Aoi glared at the monk, "Don't you think pulling a dangerous weapon on a kid is just a bit too extreme?"

Sanzo hesitated for a second, mostly because he didn't understand a word that the two said. The only thing that he got from their gibberish was that they were pissed as hell. Suzume spoke up but in Chinese. "I apologize if we startled you but we truly mean no harm, Sanzo-sama. A Goddess had sent us here against our will."

Sanzo looked down to where she lay. For one crazy moment, he thought that he met this woman before. Of course, being Sanzo, he crushed the thought the moment it came into his head.

"Yeah," Yuki agreed, "The Old Hag sent us flying here from Japan and dumped all of our asses in China. She also told us that we would be stuck with you until we finish her assignment."

Just by looking at Sanzo's expression told the four that he despised the whole arrangement and that he wanted to blast their heads off then and there so he wouldn't have to deal with them.

"Sanzo, what's going on? Did you find the source of the strange crashing sound?" A soft voice spoke from the darkness. A blinding light filled the space, making both Suzume and Aoi wince. Kasumi only curled into a ball again. "Oh! I'm sorry!" The light immediately dimmed.

Suzume blinked quickly and looked at the soft-spoken person. He, like her, had brown hair but also had green eyes, which she herself didn't have. He wore a…monocle (that's what it was called, right?) on his right eye. He looked about the same age as the monk and appeared to be some scholar of some sorts in Suzume's opinion. He gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that, I needed to see so I made Jeep turn his headlights on. Bright, isn't it?"

"This is the exact reason why I despise technology of all shapes and sizes. They end up bring more trouble that help." Yuki grouched while rubbing her eyes. When her eyes focused, she stared in shock at the green-eyed man.

"_Yare, yare, little Yuki. I know you love reading my book collection but your tutor will kill me if she finds you here again."_

"Sanzo! Why are you pointing a gun at her? She's just a child!" The man scolded the priest. The blonde reluctantly lowered his gun from Yuki's forehead but kept eyeing the four suspiciously. The man knelt down to Yuki's level and checked her. "You okay, kid?"

"Tch, she was fine before you came."

Sanzo's voice brought Yuki back to reality. Her gaze hardened and she moved away from the brown haired man. "He's right. I'm fine so don't trouble yourself over a stranger."

"Don't be so rude, Yuki." Suzume scolded in a hushed voice. In a louder tone, she said, "Thank you for your kindness. Don't mind Yuki, she's usually wary of strangers."

Aoi finally got that the people around her was speaking in Chinese and switched languages. "Who are you?"

"Oh," The man blinked in surprise when Aoi spoke and smiled, "Excuse my rudeness, my name is Hakkai and the grouchy monk over there is Sanzo."

Aoi pointed at herself. "My name is Aoi." Then she pointed at the curled up hanyou, "And the curled up fluff ball is my friend, Kasumi."

Kasumi, hearing her name, peeked from her little ball and muttered a quick, "Hello." before curling up again. Hakkai looked at the curled up ball of a hanyou in shock and looked at Aoi for an explanation. Aoi patted the orange haired girl on the head. "She does this when she's shocked but she'll stop after a while."

Hakkai sweatdropped. "I…see."

"Hey Hakkai! Fake Monk! What's taking you two so long?"

The new voice put both Yuki and Aoi back on edge but Hakkai lifted up a soothing hand. "Don't worry, he's with us. Though I must warn you girls that he-

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The voice suddenly lost its rough edge and became seductive. Yuki wrinkled her nose in disgust. She hated those types of people. She moved in front of her three friends protectively. When the person came into the light, Yuki flinched at the sight of his face. He was tall and his clothing had a roughish style to it. His hair and eyes were red. His left cheekbone had two slightly curving scars.

But that smirk…

"_You're improving, kid! I bet you'll become one hell of a warrior __**and**__ a woman when you grow up. Just like your Combat Instructor."_

"What is a bunch of beautiful women doing in the middle of nowhere, hmmm?"

"We were dumped into this hellhole by the Goddess of Mercy, whatsit to you?" Yuki snapped rudely. "And don't even think about hitting on us you pervert!"

The red head looked at Yuki as if she had just popped out of nowhere and sighed. "Great, there's another Brat and a rude one at that. Don't worry. I don't go after little kids. I prefer real women."

"When I said us, I meant **all** of us so hands off you cockroach!"

Aoi sarcastically cheered. "Hear, hear."

Yuki began to have a sinking feeling that ate at her stomach. There were too many familiar faces in one spot. This was too perfect to be a coincidence. Damn that Kanzeon, so this was the main reason why she had sent all four of them here!

But if those three were here then-

"What's taking you so long, Gojyo? I'm hungry!"

Yuki now understood what it meant to have "one's heart to stop in shock" or for "one's breath to be caught at the throat" because that was exactly what happened when the fourth person came into her line of sight. The boy looked like the youngest of the group and was visibly shorter than the rest. His hair had a lighter shade of brown and he had a golden diadem around his forehead.

He also had gold eyes.

"Huh, who're they, Sanzo?"

"They're young women who had the misfortune of meeting the Goddess of Mercy. The crazy old hag sent them here to us, thinking that we needed their help." Sanzo answered as he sauntered up to the car. The boy turned to look at the injured four. "Hey Sanzo, they look kinda hurt. Don't you think we should help them?"

"No."

"But Sanzo! We can't just leave them here!" The boy complained.

Gojyo nodded, "For once, I agree with the Baka-Saru. We can't just leave these women and brat all alone to fend for themselves!"

"It's also not their fault that they ended up here in the first place. Kanzeon Bosatsu sent them here to aid us." Hakkai added. "Maybe it isn't such a bad idea to take them along with us just in case the goddess is right about the barrier."

"Just leave them here and the goddess just might be _merciful_ enough to send them back to where ever they came from."

Suzume added out of the blue, "Or, she might send us where you four will next stop for a break and will keep doing so until you let us help."

Sanzo shot a dirty look at her to which she innocently shrugged. "I'm merely stating the truth. In all honesty, I would love nothing more than to go back home but I also have a feeling that the Goddess would be the type to do exactly what I said."

There was a long moment of silence as Sanzo and Suzume had their own little staring contest. Well, it was more one-sided for Suzume was only calmly staring back patiently while Sanzo was giving her death daggers.

"…Fine."

The boy jumped up and whooped. "Yeah!"

Hakkai knelt down and helped Suzume up while offering Aoi his free hand. "Need some help?" Aoi rejected his offer with a smirk. "Nah, I think I'll be fine on my own. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself just fine." To prove her point, she stumbled up to her feet and walked to the jeep with shaky legs on her own.

Gojyo scooped the curled up form of Kasumi up from the ground and looked at her strangely. "What happened to make her like this?"

"She's shocked." Aoi explained the second time. "She's afraid of heights and the fall from the sky was just too much for her. She'll be back to normal, happy self once the shock wears off." Aoi assured the red head.

The boy noticed Yuki sitting alone, staring at him. He hopped over to where she was sitting and offered her his hand and smiled warmly at her. "Hi! My name is Son Goku! I guess we'll be traveling together so let's be good friends!"

"_My name is Goku, Son Goku!"_

"Goku…"

His appearance hardly changed. Despite of the fact that he grew a little, but aside from that, he hasn't changed a bit. For years, she had feared that when she met him again he would be different. That he would never have that smile on him again.

"Yeah? What's wrong…um, what's your name again?"

Yuki's eyes widened in shock before dimming dramatically and she covered her eyes with one hand. So it was true…

Goku forgot.

Yuki knew that she should feel happy that he didn't remember anything in the past. It was something that tore him into pieces and he looked so much happier not remembering but now she…

She felt so lonely.

Yuki wanted to cry or scream but all that came out of her mouth was a weak chuckle that caught the attention of her three companions. Even Kasumi looked up from her curled up form. Her chuckle grew into uncontrollable laughter.

"Huh? What's so funny?" Goku asked curiously.

"No," Yuki said after she recovered from her laughing, "it's just that you reminded me of someone I used to know along, long time ago."

Goku blinked before nodding. "Oh, was that person really important to you?"

Yuki fell silent before poking him on the cheek.

Goku blinked in confusion. "Uh…"

"My name is Yuki and yeah, I hope we can be good friends too, Son Goku." Yuki interrupted him while stumbling up to her feet. Like before, she swayed after taking a step. Goku caught her out of instinct as she fell. "Damn, I hate it when I'm weak. That dumb goddess doesn't know the meaning of being gentle, does she? The next time I see her, I'll rip her face off with my nails."

Goku laughed at her comment. "Yeah, you do that."

"Goku…" Yuki stated in a distant voice as she began to lose consciousness, _"Don't leave me alone again-ne? I was so lonely…"_

Goku watched with a puzzled expression as the strange silver-haired girl spoke in a strange language. Then, she suddenly fell asleep in his arms. Not knowing what to do, he just lifted her up like how a groom would lift his bride and carried her into the jeep.

…What an awkward comparison.

* * *

><p>Kasumi looked at the red haired man strangely as she sat on his lap.<p>

The jeep was driving smoothly. In no time, they were already covering more ground than she would by foot. The sun was starting to rise from the east. She had never seen anything like it before. Hakkai had explained to her that the 'jeep' was really a dragon named Hakuryuu. Kasumi really didn't get how a dragon could willingly turn itself into an iron thing and let people ride on it like a horse. Weren't they proud beings? This is so confusing.

"Ah…" Kasumi said awkwardly, gaining Gojyo's (was it?) attention. He was smoking a cigarette. Kasumi with her sensitive nose really didn't like the smell of it but didn't complain. He helped her a little, didn't he? Gojyo smirked in her direction but not in a mean way. "What's the matter, sweetheart? Need something?"

The way he said it sounded strange. No man had ever spoken that way to her before. She's been to China before but only at the far eastern part of it, never this far. How different was this country compared to her own? If this was back in Japan, the man would've kicked her or spit at her feet.

Kasumi was usually a confident person, but when she was out of her environment, she needed a little time to adapt like most animals. She hadn't shown this side of herself to anyone in a while. The war and taking care of the Hanyou Children developed the Kasumi she was before. Acting nervous and weak was something that she didn't do normally. Dumping her into a foreign place did the trick.

"Can I ask…why you're touching me?"

Gojyo blinked in surprise before regaining his flirtatious smirk, taking the statement in the wrong way. "Sweetheart, I'm _hardly_ touching you. But if you really want me to touch you that badly…" he trailed off suggestively.

Kasumi blinked in confusion. "Eh?"

Being a Hanyou, no man had ever hit on her so Kasumi was unfamiliar with innuendoes and whatnot. Aoi, in the other hand, was not. From her seat next to Goku, she gritted out. "Hey! Keep your dirty paws off of my buddy! She's in a fragile state so don't take advantage of it!"

Sanzo flinched and attempted to ignore the blue haired girl.

"What's wrong, Aoi? What did he mean by that?" The orange haired girl asked. Aoi sweatdropped. "So like you to completely miss such an obvious thing like that. That guy wants you in his bed."

Kasumi quirked her head to the side, "You mean he can't sleep alone?" She turned to face Gojyo, "Are you afraid of sleeping alone?"

Gojyo smiled slyly. "Yeah, you can say that."

Aoi slapped her forehead. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean Aoi?" Kasumi asked with genuine interest.

Aoi opened her mouth and closed it like a fish before shaking her head. There was no way she was going to talk about 'the birds and the bees' to Kasumi in front of a bunch of guys. She could do that later in a more…private place. "Never mind. Forget what I said."

Kasumi turned back to Gojyo to see him looking at them in amusement. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just that you're cute." He said. Kasumi flinched in surprise. Cute?

Someone said something like that before but that was such a long time ago. When was the last time she heard someone, aside form her group of friends, say something nice to her?

Aoi rolled her eyes. "He's complementing your looks."

Kasumi hated how being in a different environment made her so vulnerable and so clueless. She really hoped that she would get used to it soon. Kasumi pouted and crossed her arms childishly. "I know **that**, but why are you being so nice to me?" She directed the end of her sentence to Gojyo. He shrugged, "I'm nice to all pretty females."

"And that's becomes a burden." Hakkai stated from his driver's seat.

Kasumi couldn't help but laugh when Gojyo got riled up by that comment. Her animal-like ears perked up. Goku jumped in surprise. "Whoa! What are those on you head?"

Gojyo almost choked on his cigarette when he saw her ears. "What the-?"

The commotion in the back forced Hakkai to stop the jeep. The jeep squacked in complaint. "Sorry Hakuryuu!"

Kasumi stumbled out of the jeep.

_Click_

"Do you two really want bullets shoved into your skulls? I can really do that for you." Sanzo growled while pointing his gun at Goku and Gojyo's direction. Both shook their heads. "No thanks."

Hakkai walked over to where Kasumi self-consciously slapped her hands over her ears. "Hey, are you okay?"

Kasumi shook her head and scooted away from the chi user. Now she knew why they were so nice to her. They didn't even know she had those cursed ears. She didn't want to see the disgusted looks from them. For some reason, their opinions mattered a lot to her. She also didn't want to hear them voice that they didn't want to travel with a half-breed.

"_Freak! I can't believe there's such a thing in this world!"_

"_Hanyou! Just go and die!"_

"_Keep away from me! Those things on your head are such an eyesore."_

"Kasumi, they're only surprised. There's no need to be afraid." Suzume told her soothingly from her seat in the jeep. "It's different here, that's all. This is probably the very first time they ever saw anything like you."

"Yeah," Goku agreed, "Can we see them, Kasumi? I wanna see them again."

Hesitantly, Kasumi slowly lowered her hands and revealed her fox ears. Goku tentatively reached out his hand and looked at her for permission. "Can I?"

Kasumi nodded. "Just don't pull too hard please. It hurts."

Goku made sure to be gentle as he touched her ears. Kasumi's ears twitched a little when he pulled at them but she kept still. He stroked them as if they belonged to some small animal. The golden-eyed boy smiled in childish glee, "They're so soft! And warm, too!"

"…Really?"

Goku nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh, I like them!"

Kasumi smiled brightly, matching Goku's.

Something flashed through Gojyo's eyes that only Aoi caught but, before she could specify what emotion it was, it was gone. Gojyo casually strolled over to Kasumi's side and touched her other ear, catching her by surprise. "Huh, you're right. They really are soft and warm."

The way he touched her ear was a bit different than how Goku did it. Kasumi couldn't put her finger on it, but it felt much nicer. Without even realizing it, she began to purr like a content cat. Gojyo smiled to himself rather proudly for causing her to make those noises.

Realizing that she was making that sort of sound, she slapped both of her hands over her mouth.

Goku began to laugh. "Wow! You can sound like cat too! You're so cool! Do all youkai in Japan look like you?"

"No," Kasumi replied quietly, "And I'm not a youkai, I'm a hanyou. I'm not sure what the hanyou here look like, but the hanyou in Japan gain some part of their youkai parent's true form. If the parent were a bat hanyou, the child would have wings and strange-colored hair. If the parent were a spider youkai, the child would be able to spin invisible thread and so forth."

Aoi nodded in agreement. "Kasumi here is a fox hanyou if you hadn't guessed. Look," Aoi pulled something from Kasumi's back, "she even has a cute tail to match with her ears if you don't believe me."

Kasumi squeaked in embarrassment. "Aoi! Stop that! My tail is creepy!"

As she said this, her tail moved back and forth in an agitated manner.

"Nah," She heard Gojyo say and heard him kneel down beside her, "It's not creepy. It's just something extra that makes you look even cuter." He patted her head. "You don't have to hide them from us. There's nothing about your ears and tail to be ashamed of."

At his words, Kasumi immediately brightened and she gave him an overjoyed grin.

"Yeah, you're right!"

Suzume moved Yuki (who was still sleeping even after all that ruckus, mind you) into a much more comfortable position and strode toward the hanyou and knelt by her side with a deadpan expression. "Kasumi…you do know that he's like you, right?"

Kasumi blinked. "Wha-? Really? Is that true?" She asked Gojyo excitedly. He nodded self-importantly before he was tackled into an over exuberant hug. "Whoa there, I didn't know that you wanted me that badly! You could've just said-

"This is great! I have a new older brother!" Kasumi crowed happily, interrupting whatever perverted thing the water kappa had to say. For the second time in a day, the cigarette fell out of his shocked mouth. Kasumi gave him another hug before running off to Hakkai to tell him about what she just decided.

Aoi shook her head. "Sorry man, she's completely clueless when it comes to those things so I suggest you to stop trying. She also labeled you her new older brother so please don't disappoint her."

"Older Brother? What-no, how did that happen?" Gojyo asked Aoi incredulously. She shrugged. "It's a hanyou thing back in Japan. Because they're practically shunned by the whole society for their mixed blood, they look out for each other. Even though they're not even remotely blood-related, they think of each other as siblings. It's pretty amazing if you ask me. I've seen it in action, their bond and trust for each other."

As she said this, Aoi's eyes became a bit distant.

"But I don't want to be her older brother!"

Aoi sighed and shook her head. "Poor, poor Kasumi. She's so homesick that she's even making a perverted, good-for-nothing, water sprite her older brother. The kindness in her heart has no bounds but alas! The shameless guy has the gal to throw away her kindness like trash because of his selfish needs! What a pitiful girl my best friend is to entrust her precious memories to a guy like him!" At this, Aoi wiped away a tear with an embroidered handkerchief that she got out of nowhere.

Gojyo rubbed the back of his neck. Shit, this woman was making him feel guilty. "Yeah, yeah, fine. I hear ya. I'll be her older brother or whatever."

"You sound as if you had a choice." Aoi said flatly, going back to normal. "And this means you can't take advantage of her innocence."

"Shouldn't you be worried about yourself?" Gojyo asked, both amused and annoyed at the same time by her attitude.

"Nope. I've met my fair share of your type and worse. I think I can handle myself just fine. I'm not worried about Yuki or Suzume, either."

"Why's that?"

Aoi gave him a look. "Unless you're a pedophile, which I hope you're not, I don't really think you'll be pursuing her. Suzume is - how can I say it in a way you can understand? - She's like a female version of your monks so she can't taint her body, much less bother with someone like you."

"So you're all hands off then." Gojyo concluded.

Aoi smirked, "Unless some of us are willing, yes we are."

Aoi laughed at the kappa's hopeful look and added,

"But don't hold your breath."

* * *

><p>When Yuki woke up, she was in a jeep and the sun was setting. For once, the sun didn't bother waking her up with its annoying rays. It allowed her to sleep as if it knew what she was going through.<p>

Or maybe this sun was a completely different sun all together.

"Awake brat?"

Yuki lazily turned her head to the side and blinked dully at the cranky Sanzo priest sitting at her right. "I think I am. Or maybe I'm still dreaming. I mean, what priest or monk in their right mind smokes?" Yeah, it sounds like something she would dream up. A badass monk who resembles a person she used to know.

"Well that's Sanzo for you." Another man, that she thought looked like scholar, stated cheerfully. "It's nice to see you up-Yuki, right?"

"Shouldn't you know my name?" Yuki thought the people in her dreams always knew her name. She inspected the man critically and noticed that he had piercings in one ear. "Hn, pretty tacky for a dream. Do I really have that big of an imagination to think up a goody-goody with piercings?"

Yuki felt her cheek being pinched **really** hard. "Now, now, don't be rude. They saved us remember? Show your manners."

"Suzume? Oh, so I'm not dreaming." Yuki stated dully, pushing away her hand irritably. She dipped her head at the nice man's way. "_Gomen_, I thought you were a figment of my imagination."

The man laughed, "No harm done. My name is Cho Hakkai." To Suzume he said, "She's just a child. There's no need to scold her that harshly."

"I'm more than five hundred years old, what the hell are you saying?" Yuki asked incredulously.

Suzume, Aoi, and even Kasumi slapped their hands over the young girl's. "Ha, ha, you know little kids. They're always thinking that they're gazillion years old!" Aoi said while laughing nervously.

Yuki forced all three pairs of hands away from her mouth and growled angrily at all of them. "FINE! I'll stop 'kidding around'._ Gomen_ again, Hakkai."

Hakkai smiled at Yuki and ruffled her head with one hand while keeping the other on the steering wheel. Yuki glared at him but didn't push his hand away. "No harm done, Little One."

"I'm NOT little!" Yuki gritted out.

"Ah, should I call you Little Yuki instead?" Hakkai suggested jokingly. Aoi blinked in surprise when Yuki didn't tackle the monocle-wearing man for calling her little yet again. Yuki crossed her arms and said in a smaller voice, "That sounds okay."

Aoi gawked at the sight. "Yuki…are you okay, kid? Did that fall do something to your head or something?"

Yuki stuck her tongue out at Aoi. "Shut up, _Ba_-Aoi. I'm tired."

"Already? You just woke up!"

"…"

"She's asleep, isn't she?" Aoi stated aloud. A soft snore answered her question. Goku covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. Aoi, in turn, glared jokingly at the monkey boy. "What'cha laughing at?"

"Nothing," Goku stated innocently. Then, he stated with his usual (to the Sanzo-ikkou, not the foursome), "I'm hungry!"

Gojyo glared distastefully at him. "Can't you **not** think about your stomach for once, you stupid monkey?"

"Shut up, you perverted Kappa! I hardly ate the last time!" Goku complained.

"Oh, suck it up!"

"Make me!"

Aoi and Kasumi, in the other hand, looked at each other and then at Goku in horror. "Kami, you poor, poor boy! Don't worry! Aoi has a bunch of snacks in her bag!" Aoi was currently rummaging in her bag and produced three peaches, two plums, five dango sticks, and a bag of sweets. "This is all I have. I would've gotten more if it weren't for the youkai attack in the village I stopped by."

Goku's eyes brightened immensely when Kasumi handed him the treats. "Wow! These look so yummy! Thanks!"

Kasumi and Aoi patted the boy's head as he munched on the plums. "Try to be patient until we stop by the next town and we'll get you more food." Kasumi comforted the content Goku.

"I wonder if they take Japanese currency here." Aoi wondered to herself.

"Stop it, you'll spoil him." Sanzo snarled from his seat. Yuki began to stir, making the three freeze from what they were doing. Aoi shushed the Sanzo priest. "Are you **suicidal**?" She hissed quietly. "DO NOT wake Yuki up in her naps. NEVER!"

Kasumi nodded in agreement. "She's scary when someone wakes her up."

"But she seemed fine when she woke up a few minutes ago." Hakkai stated in his normal volume and was shushed by a panicked Kasumi. Aoi shook her head. "That's not the same! She passed out so the sleeping wasn't intentional. She's sleeping _now_."

Yuki, by now, was back to her peaceful slumber state and the three relaxed. "Thank Kami, that was a close one!" Kasumi sighed in relief and wiped her forehead from the sweat that gathered there. "I thought we were all going to die!"

Just as she said this, Hakkai stepped on the breaks abruptly, almost throwing a surprised Kasumi off if it weren't for Gojyo catching her. She regained her balance and flashed the red-eyed hanyou a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"No problem, sweetheart."

Yuki shifted and groaned but didn't wake.

Aoi looked at the obstacle that caused the car to stop and jerked back in surprise. "A youkai hoard grouping up on us? Now why does this sight look familiar?" She muttered to herself sarcastically. Suzume agreed grimly while taking out her bow.

One youkai (possibly the leader) stepped forward and stared pointedly at the sutra on Sanzo's shoulders. "We're here for the sutra, Monk."

Sanzo pulled out the gun he pointed at Yuki earlier, while the others took out their own weapons.

Aoi slapped her forehead. "You stopped the jeep, while almost waking Yuki up, for a piece of paper with **gibberish** on it? What's wrong with you youkai?"

"This isn't Japan." Suzume reminded Aoi, "It may be that the youkai here aren't as intelligent despite of their ability to remain in a humanoid form and to speak."

"So they're all talk and no brain." Aoi scoffed, "Just like the idiots that tried to take over our turf years ago."

"Idiots taking over your turf?" Hakkai repeated curiously.

Suzume nodded, "Years ago, youkai and humans from your country invaded our land. They completely threw everything off balance and destroyed…well, almost everything that they found." Suzume discreetly glanced at Aoi as she said this.

"Ya wanna know what happened to those youkai when they messed with us?" Aoi offered to the youkai in front of her cheerfully.

Those youkai didn't even have a chance to reply to that question.

Blood suddenly spurted from the mouths of the youkai before they fell apart like chopped up fruit.

Their attacker kept her cold eyes focused onto the ground as her victims fell. Her eyes looked almost animal-like, feral. This act seemed so out-of-character to the Sanzo-ikkou that even the cranky monk himself couldn't help but blink in surprise.

"Aw, c'mon Kasumi! Couldn't you have left me at least one?" Aoi complained as Kasumi, who had sliced up the youkai within a few seconds, flicked her blade clean of the blood before sheathing it. She gave her friend a sheepish smile. "Sorry! I forgot that these youkai are soft skinned unlike the youkai back home."

Aoi glanced back at the jeep and laughed at the surprised looks on her new companions' faces. "What? You all thought Kasumi was helpless? Well think again! She's tougher than she looks!"

Goku stared at the chopped up youkai and grinned like a child who found a new, cool toy. "Awesome! Kasumi, you're really strong! You wanna spar with me sometime?"

Kasumi shrugged and grinned back. "Maybe."

It wasn't a yes, but Goku cheered anyways.

* * *

><p>After a little bit more driving, they stopped for the night to camp. Poor Hakuryuu was too tired to move anymore. The women, minus Yuki who was still sleeping, left to bathe in the river nearby.<p>

Kasumi yelped at the sharp, cold feeling that traveled through her nerves as the water touched her skin. "It's so cold!"

Aoi shivered in the water but forced herself to dunk her whole body in. "Just keep moving and it'll get better."

"Doesn't this remind you of the old days?" Suzume asked as she walked into the water calmly. She still hadn't stopped traveling far from towns during her years as a traveling shrine maiden after the war. She didn't have the luxury of a bath despite of her respected status. "We used to bathe like this in even colder waters."

Aoi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, don't remind me. I think the water was partially frozen then and we weren't in it to take a bath."

"Were we fighting youkai or running away from the soldiers?" Kasumi wondered aloud. "I don't remember."

"I think both." Suzume murmured while attempting to probe into the memories of the past.

"Yeah and Yuki had to pull us all out, remember?" Kasumi grinned at the memory. "She was so mad and she beat us all up for it too!"

"You make it sound as if it was a good thing." Aoi muttered as she washed the dry blood from her blue hair. Her hair was long enough to cover her breasts, but the beautiful lotus flower above them were as clear as day. No amount of hair could cover that.

Kasumi admired the floral mark on her friend's chest. "I always thought that lotus was beautiful."

"Yeah, pretty annoying you mean." Aoi told her bitterly. "This thing brought me nothing but trouble ever since I came into this world. You probably one of the few people who would call this thing beautiful."

"I also think it's beautiful, Aoi." Suzume reminded her as she helped Kasumi with a tangle.

Aoi waved her friend's comment away. "Few," she reminded her, "One of the very few."

"I bet a guy will tell you that it's pretty one day." Kasumi said confidently. Aoi rolled her eyes. "He would have to see me half-naked for **that** to happen!"

Kasumi shrugged and dumped her head into the water. A couple of seconds later, she resurfaced and took a greedy breath. Aoi eyed her buddy critically. "Why do you always do that? You know that something creepy would grab you by the leg someday and drag you under someday. And I wouldn't know that until it's too late."

"I guess it makes me appreciate the air more." Kasumi stated after much thought. "Better to make every breath your purpose in life than relying on a dead person's promise or some petty revenge to keep you going."

Aoi's face became thoughtful. "You don't say?"

"Yeah, doesn't it sound strange? My sensei told me that. I don't remember when, though. It seems that I'm forgetting a lot of things since I was dumped here by some other country's Goddess of Love and Mercy."

"Yeah, go figure."

Their moment of thoughtfulness was interrupted by Suzume and had water splashed onto both of their faces. "Don't look so serious." She deadpanned, "It's creeping me out."

This caused the two to break into immature giggles.

Kasumi playfully splashed back at Suzume's face. "Speak for yourself! You're always so serious! Brighten up a little and stop speaking in such a polite way!"

"No." Suzume deadpanned again. This encouraged Aoi to join in on the fun.

They weren't going to get out of the water anytime soon.

* * *

><p>"I'm hungry!"<p>

No need to know who said **that**.

It was just less than a day and the Four Heroes of Japan already discovered that this cry was common for the little monkey boy. Yuki, now _finally_ awake, whacked him over the head with her fan that she always kept within her robes. Poor Goku yelped in pain and nursed his head. "Stop whining or I'll **make** you stop. _Permanently_."

The dark aura of annoyance that surrounded Yuki was terrifying. Actually, it was the same one that sent all those bull youkai running for the hills a while back.

Completely forgetting his hunger for once in his life, Goku nodded numbly. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

Hakkai stared at the sight.

A miracle had just happened:

Sanzo didn't have to pull the trigger to stop the racket.

Yuki shoved a handful of branches into Goku's surprised hands. "If you're hungry, help out with the fire. Kasumi, I bet, will come back with something yummy after her long bath and we'll be prepared to cook it the moment she gets here." She said the last part a little more kindly, which isn't that much but it was _something_.

Goku cheered and helped with setting up the camp. But after he was finished, he became bored and impatient so he decided that making a conversation with the silver haired girl would be more interesting than anything.

Besides, there was something about her that pulled at the edge of his brain.

"So, Yuki right?" Yuki, the way that name rolled off of his tongue felt so familiar. Saying it made his insides warm too.

It felt nice.

Yuki nodded. "Yup."

"What's your favorite food?"

"Apples." Yuki answered immediately.

"Where are you from?" Goku asked randomly.

Yuki answered without hesitation or excitement. "I'm from an island that floats in the middle of an ocean."

Goku nodded sagely. "I see…is it fun there? What's it like there? Do you have a family?"

"No, it's like my personal hell there. It's just a plain island covered with forests, villages, and a hell lot of annoying youkai that knocks down apple stalls. And yes, I have a family or _had_ one," A vision from the past flitted across the young girl's eyes, giving her a painful pang in the gut. They left me a long, long time ago so I live alone."

"So what's having a family like?" Goku asked curiously. "Is it nice?"

"_C'mon, Yuki! Let's go sakura watching!"_

"_Hurry up or I'll leave you."_

"_I'll carry ya kid, if you weren't so heavy!"_

"_My, my, isn't it lively?"_

"Yeah, you're never lonely when they're there. They always gave me that warm, protected feeling when they're around." Yuki murmured, feeling a pang of nostalgia. Goku watched with slight awe as the harsh and serious expression that resembled a certain monk's melted into a face of a child not much older than him. "But I guess not anymore."

"_Yuki! Look! I made a flower necklace for you!"_

"Oh…I'm sorry."

WHACK!

"Owwww!" Goku complained while holding his throbbing head. "Why did you do that?"

Yuki stood over him with her fan up. "Don't give me that look of pity! I got over that a long time ago! I'm not a weak little girl like you!"

"Burn!" Gojyo called out unhelpfully from the sidelines. Yuki held her fan up threateningly. That shut him up just fine.

Goku pouted. "I was just trying to help. Besides, what _is_ that fan made out of? Rock? It hurts more than Sanzo's paper one!"

"Iron, you dolt." Yuki growled while snapping it closed. "It was given to me for fighting purposes but it's also useful for keeping idiots in line."

"Oh look, the birth of a mini-Sanzo!" Hakkai stated cheerfully. At this, both Goku and Gojyo paled. "NOOOOOO! ONE'S ENOUGH!"

_Click_

"You bastards wanna die?"

Seems like the trio found that it was the perfect time to step back into camp. Dripping wet, Kasumi cheerfully held up her catch, which was already chopped up (Kasumi was nice like that). "Lookie! I caught dinner for you all!"

"Shut up!" Sanzo snapped at the hanyou, surprising her into silence. Both Aoi and Gojyo immediately became defensive and got into an argument with the cranky monk while Suzume, Yuki, and Goku huddled around the fire. They cooked the meat as the yelling and gunshots commenced.

Sigh

And Hakkai thought it was going to be quiet for once.

* * *

><p>"Kanzeon-sama, are you sure that it's a good idea to send those four there? <em>Especially<em> Lady Yuki?" Jiroushin stressed nervously while looking into the lotus pool. "And why the other three anyways? You lied about needing them to break the barrier! A young goddess alone would be fine enough to break such a weak barrier!"

The Goddess lifted her eyebrows and lifted her finger to her lips. "Shhh, no need to fuss about the _boring _things right now. This is what makes everything more fun!"

"And tell me, _how_ is this going to be amusing?" Jiroushin asked skeptically.

Kanzeon smirked from where she sat.

"Now, it wouldn't be as amusing as it would be if I **told **you, would it?"

* * *

><p>Like what the Goddess said, It wouldn't be fun to tell!<p>

And here is where I would have to stop the chapter. Sorry! I'll try to be quick on writing the next chapter!

Otaku-sama, out!


	4. Teru teru bozu

Okay! So the next chapter is out! Finally!

Sorry for the wait guys! You know how demanding school is but I appreciate your patience!

Let's get this part over with:

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Saiyuki or its prequels, sequels, or tv series. No, not even their hot main characters. I only own the girls: Aoi, Suzume, Kasumi, and Yuki (Sorry!)

Now that we got that part cleared up,

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 3: Teru teru bozu

"_Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu_

_Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure_

_Itsuka no yume no sora no yo ni_

_Haretara kin no suzu ageyo."_

A younger Suzume sang this song to herself as she hung her handmade _teru-teru-bozu _dolls outside the temple. Some monks-in-training whispered to themselves that she was a witch trying to cast spells that would kill them all.

"That girl is no good. I can't believe she's aloud to even stay here!"

"I heard she came from an island called Japan!"

"I heard her kind kills demons! How impure!"

"What in the world is she chanting?"

"What are those creepy things she's hanging?"

These dolls will drive all the rain spirits away and keep the temple sunny and happy. The knowledge of this drove her to finish her mission. She sang the folk song under her breath as she hung the admittedly scary-looking dolls.

This was her third day in this new temple and she was thankful that she was accepted to live under its roof despite of her being a female, even if it was temporary. She had only recently been taken under her master's wing to become an exceptional shrine maiden. It was only because of her powers of purification that she was allowed to enter the temple.

Even though it wasn't very deep into China, Suzume's tutelage required her to visit China and learn of the different cultures that her 'spiritual brothers'.

But not only that…

"Ah, Suzume. I heard you've been giving the monks here some trouble." A bright and cheerful voice interrupted her soft singing. She looked up from her hanging and smiled at the person.

He was her savior, after all.

She dipped her head in apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare them."

The person smiled and patted her head kindly. "I know you didn't mean to, but it's only the third day and you're not making any friends."

"They don't want me to be their friends because I'm 'filthy' anyways." Suzume told him honestly. "I'm a girl so I can't join their games or talk to them. They won't even allow me to pray with them because I wouldn't be converting to Buddhism."

Her savior sighed. "I see."

"I don't mind, though. You're here and you like me so it's all right. Right?" Suzume asked in an adorable manner that caused her savior to pat her head and pinch her cheeks. "You're too cute for me to not like you, little Sparrow. Now, come inside and have some tea with me. It's lonely drinking tea alone."

Suzume nodded after hanging her last teru-teru-bozu and skipped after him.

"I'll brew some green tea for you…

She took his hand and squeezed it warmly.

…Koumyo-sama."

* * *

><p>(About 14 years later…)<p>

Suzume knelt by the river that she had bathed in the day before and washed the dirty clothing in the water. Some of them belonged to the guys back at camp. She took special care in their clothing.

She carefully laid out the wet clothes with holes to dry first so she could mend them. She wiped her brow after she was finished laying the clothes out. "Well that took a while. Really, can the men do any of the mending?"

"I admit my sewing skills aren't the best."

Suzume looked up and acknowledged Hakkai's existence with a nod. Her once relaxed expression hardened to a guarded yet polite aura that she had worn during the past two days. "I didn't hear you."

"Sorry about that." Hakkai apologized cheerfully, not seeming to be sorry at all. He held out his hand. "Want me to help you with the mending? The jobs seems quite bothersome for one alone."

"I would like that, Hakkai-san. Thank you." Suzume accepted the offer after slight hesitance.

The both quietly mended the clothing in silence. They only spoke to each other when necessary. It was mostly Suzume who avoided conversation. It wasn't that she didn't trust this man. Honestly he was the least suspicious character. Aside form Goku, of the group.

It was more like she was too shy to speak to a man alone. As a shrine maiden, she tended to avoid these private moments with a man for obvious reasons.

Hakkai suddenly broke the silence. "Miss Suzume, do I scare you?"

Suzume blinked in surprise at the honest question but didn't hesitate in answering with equal honesty. "No. But you men do put me on a certain edge. You must excuse me. I'm very inexperienced with speaking with your gender alone so I don't have a clue on what to do or say without Aoi and Yuki's aid."

"Oh, is that so?" Hakkai laughed good-naturedly, "Well you don't have to worry about that when you're with me. I tend to lean more toward the feminine side, or so I am told. Just treat me like any other of your female friends."

Suzume relaxed. "That makes things much easier, thank you."

The awkward moment was over and the pair ended up talking to each other during the remaining time that it took the clothes to me mended and dried.

"Ah, so you are an equivalent to our monks. That's very interesting, Miss Suzume. What do Shrine Maidens do for a living? Do you pray to some other unknown God or the Buddha?" Hakkai inquired curiously as they walked back to camp.

Suzume shook her head. "No, we don't worship any specific god or goddess. Our only purpose in life is to either keep the shrines clean for worshippers to pray in or, like me, to purify all youkai who poses as a threat to the defenseless people."

"Purify? Do you mean…?"

"Yes," She nodded to confirm his suspicion, "Wiping them from the face of the earth seems to be a better word for it. It's bloodless and no body is left to clean up."

Hakkai smiled. "That's scary! I sure hope I won't have to face against you in my lifetime, Miss Suzume!"

Suzume gave him a serious look. "Yes, it would be unfortunate if we would have to face off against each other, Hakkai-san. You are a youkai, after all." With a bit of a brighter tone, she added, "But that would only happen if you betray me or my friends in some kind of way."

Hakkai looked at Suzume in surprise. "You know?"

"Of course, your body sends off the same aura as the youkai that Kasumi beheaded the other day did. Except, yours is a bit…stifled." Suzume wrinkled her nose in confusion. "I've never encountered anything like this before. Is this common here?"

"Ah, you must mean the power limiters." Hakkai gestured to his ear with his free hand. "Here, the youkai limit their powers with these things so they could wander amongst the humans peacefully."

She looked at the limiters with envy. "If we had those back at home, there wouldn't be any fighting."

"Well if it makes you feel better, the youkai here that go insane don't wear them anymore." Hakkai offered with a grimace. Suzume analyzed the man carefully before slowly asking, "How are you not drifting into insanity like the others? Your spirit looks stable to me."

"Ah, maybe it's because I was originally human." Hakkai explained.

"You killed a thousand youkai and bathed in their blood." Suzume finished for him with a nod. "I thought that was some myth told to us to prevent getting the youkai blood on our skin but I guess it's true."

He glanced at the shrine maiden with slight surprise at her calm reaction. Hakkai had expected her to flinch or call his deeds sinful. Suzume's eyes raked over Hakkai's reaction and read it like a book. "What you did must have been backed up by a good reason, Hakkai-san. You don't seem to be the type who would kill for pleasure. Those things should be left to Aoi. She loves getting her blades into Chinese Youkai skin."

"Aren't you curious about why I did what I did?" Hakkai inquired. The shrine maiden shook her head indifferently. "It's not my place to ask. Though…I think I have a hint. Things like that don't really escape my eyes, you see. I can't help it even though I despise being nosy. It's my curse."

"Curse?" Puzzled Hakkai opened his mouth for clarification for her vague words but was interrupted abruptly. "What else would you like to know about us?"

Sensing that it wouldn't be wise to push, Hakkai followed the change of subject and discussed about the politics in her homeland until they reached back to camp.

* * *

><p>"I'm hungry!"<p>

That all-too-familiar cry was repeated for the millionth time within five minutes, which was very impressive in Aoi's opinion. She was surprised that the kid managed to keep silent about his stomach for at least two hours into the jeep ride. Suzume could quite literally feel the irritation of the monk beside her in the front and subtly leaned away. Both Kasumi and Yuki were oblivious of what was happening because they were taking their naps. Gojyo looked as if he wanted to snap back at Goku but refrained from doing so because Kasumi was asleep on his lap.

Not that he minded.

_The poor girl had no common sense_, Aoi decided to herself, _she has no idea what torture she was making her hanyou counterpart go through._

Aoi frowned when she saw that storm clouds were gathering in the sky. She really hoped that it wouldn't rain.

She really hated it when it rained.

"Hey Suzume, it looks like it's going to rain." Aoi stated offhandedly. She didn't miss the stiffening from her new companions. Huh, they didn't like the rain either, did they?

Suzume looked up. "It seems so."

"Why don't you hang up one of those creepy charms to drive the rain away? You're a _miko_, driving away rain shouldn't be too hard-ne?"

Amused, Suzume looked back. "Do you really still believe in those things, Aoi? I'm surprised. You don't seem to be the type back in our war days."

"Tch, that was _before_ you blew a whole legion up with just a couple of words." Aoi admitted grudgingly. "And that amazing display of power when you sealed that youkai bastard up at the climax of our final battle."

Goku stopped his whining for a moment to stare at Suzume in awe. "Whoa, did you really do that?"

"You exaggerate." Suzume stated flatly.

"No! Seriously, that's how I saw it!"

Suzume shrugged. "Then why would you expect me to stop the rain? It's a normal cycle that just can't be stopped."

"You know why…"

Suzume sighed and turned to Kasumi who was still napping on Gojyo's lap. "Kasumi, do you mind waking up for me?"

Kasumi's eyes snapped open and she sat up. She yawned and rubbed her eyes cutely. "Awww, why did you wake me up? I was having such a great dream!"

"Aoi was complaining about the chances of it raining. Do you mind helping me make a Teru-teru-bozu? Goku can help too. My hands are a bit full with Yuki." Suzume told the hanyou apologetically. Kasumi didn't seem to mind and slid off of a disappointed Gojyo's lap. "Sure thing! Hey Goku, this is going to be fun but I'm going to need your help in this."

"Okay! I'll help!"

Kasumi distracted Goku from his stomach successfully by making him gather all the things needed to make a Teru-teru-bozu. After they were finished making it, Goku held up the little doll triumphantly. "I did it!"

Kasumi, Aoi, and Suzume clapped. "Good job, Goku!"

"Don't praise him too much. You'll spoil him rotten." Sanzo grumbled from his seat. He looked at the little doll with slight recognition but didn't say anything about it. "Besides, the thing looks like a creepy ghost."

"That's what it's _supposed_ to look like ya dumb monk." Aoi told him rudely. "It's a doll that drives rain away for us. Little kids make these."

Hakkai dared to glance at the doll before quickly returning his focus back onto the road. "Japanese culture is really different than ours."

Goku turned to Kasumi. "So…what do we do with this?"

"We hang it up." Kasumi said while passing it to Suzume. She somehow managed to hang the Teru-teru-bozu. Sanzo turned from the doll and lit a cigarette. Kasumi's sensitive nose smelled it and she covered it quickly before the stinging smell filled her nose. "Ouch!"

"So what do we do next?" Goku asked. Aoi answered the question lazily. "Well, we now get to hear Suzume sing."

"Why must I be the one to sing?" Suzume wondered aloud. Aoi chuckled. "I don't remember the song and Kasumi never had it taught to her. I don't think Miss high-and mighty Yuki would be kind enough to sing it for us too. Besides, you priestesses seem to have this holy touch to all these magical things."

Kasumi clapped in glee. "Yay! We get to hear Suzume sing!"

Suzume sighed. "Really, you two, you're making me embarrass myself in front of our new companions already."

"Sing!" Goku demanded. "I want to hear Suzume sing!"

"_Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu_

_Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure_

_Itsuka no yume no sora no yo ni_

_Haretara kin no suzu ageyo._

_Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu_

_Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure_

_Watashi no negai wo kiita nara_

_Amai o-sake wo tanto nomasho…"_

"What a creepy song." Sanzo interrupted rudely. Suzume stopped singing and lifted her eyebrows at the monk. "I thought you would've gotten the theme of this by now. It's supposed to drive the rain away by scaring it."

Goku looked up and gasped. "Wow! It really did work! The clouds are going away!"

And they were. The dark clouds that appeared to bring rain had rolled away, leaving the sun to shine down onto the road that stretched ahead. Suzume smiled at the hanging doll and took a small ribbon piece from her robes. She gently tied it around the doll's neck. "It's no bell, but I'll wrap a pretty ribbon around your neck for your job well done, Teru-teru-bozu-san."

Sanzo snorted. "It's just a stupid doll. And that was just a coincidence. There's no way that a doll made from tissue and string would ever be able to prevent rain from coming."

"Suzume specializes in making and breaking seals so it's natural that she can put seals over the weather for a limited amount of time. She's actually the only person in Japan who can do this." Kasumi said. Sanzo shook his head. "That's the most useless thing a seal could be used for."

Hakkai gave Sanzo a chiding look before praising Suzume. "That was an amazing example of your ability Miss Suzume. You must be very well known back in where you lived."

"Very well known?" Aoi snorted and ignored Suzume's pointed look. "She's the youngest High Priestess that was ever appointed in Japan! Hell, she can kick any of your monks' asses in chanting and creating seals. Well, aside from the grouchy Sanzo here of course."

"Yeah!" Kasumi piped along proudly. "You can say that she's the equivalent to the status of a Sanzo!"

Sanzo seemed to start in alarm at Kasumi's words. He looked at Suzume in disbelief and horror. Suzume couldn't help but feel a bit offended at his reaction.

"Quiet!" Suzume snapped. "Don't bring up that!"

"Awww, someone's embarrassed." Aoi taunted.

Hakkai sent a questioning look at Suzume's way. "Why are you so adamant in keeping your status in the dark?"

Suzume groaned and pressed her head into Yuki's back. She was currently sitting up and sleeping on her lap so this wasn't really hard to do. "I was hoping to not bring up my status for the whole trip. Please tell them why." She directed the last statement to Sanzo who was now scowling and covering his face with his hands.

"No way, you tell them, woman. I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of knowing the stupid tradition." Sanzo snapped back rudely. "And why did you have to bring it up in the first place?"

"That was Aoi's doing, not mine."

Sanzo scowled at her. "Well, keep your damn friend's mouth shut then the next time! Because of her blabbermouth, we're in a deep load of shit here!"

"Don't say those things about Aoi! And it's you who has a problem about this! I, unlike you, actually don't think that this is such a huge deal! You're overreacting!" Suzume snapped angrily.

"That's not the point, dammit! I don't even know you!"

Kasumi shrank back as the pair argued. She buried her face into Gojyo's chest and covered her ears, much to his delight. "Suzume never got this angry before. I wonder why she gets this angry with Sanzo, Gojyo-nii?"

Gojyo patted her head. "He has that affect to a lot of people. She's bound to snap sometime."

"But this is different…she's not only upset but sad, too." Kasumi whimpered. "She's so, so sad."

Gojyo raised her eyebrows and shared a look with Goku. Aoi patted Kasumi's head lazily. "Just block it all out, Kasumi. You did this before. I don't think Suzume would appreciate you reading her emotions during such a vulnerable time."

"But it's so hard!" Kasumi wailed quietly. "She feels it so much that it's overflowing! She's literally forcing it all into my mind. It hurts!"

Kasumi began to cry.

Aoi sent an alarmed look at Suzume's way but she was too busy with her heated argument with Sanzo. A dark look passed across her eyes. She leaned down to Kasumi's level and stroked her hair comfortingly. "Kasumi, I want you to relax. I'm going to knock you out for a little bit. Is that okay to you?"

Kasumi nodded. "Please," She begged, "make it go away!"

Aoi pinched Kasumi's neck and muttered something under her breath. Within seconds, the orange haired girl was out like a light. Her distressed expression relaxed but the tears running from her closed eyes kept flowing.

She slumped into Gojyo's arms. The kappa let out a low whistle. "Was it really necessary to do that? Yeah you asked first, but really?"

"Kasumi was suffering." Aoi replied shortly.

Goku looked at Kasumi's tear-stained face. "She looks calmer now. I think what Aoi did was for the best."

Aoi patted his head. "For a kid, you're pretty bright unlike the lazy snow-top sleeping in the front."

A sandal flew at Aoi's face and made a deafening slapping noise. Peeling the thing off of her face she glared at the said person. "You little brat! What was that for? And when the hell did you wake up?"

Yuki was wide-awake and surprisingly calm. "That was for comparing my intelligence with that monkey, you blue freak show." She turned to Suzume and Sanzo. They stopped their little bantering when she threw her sandal. "And you two should just shut up. The tradition is nothing big and besides, you're squabbling like an old couple. Oh, and Kasumi fainted."

Suzume took a deep breath and composed herself. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Che." Sanzo looked away and brought the cigarette back into his mouth.

An awkward silence fell within the jeep.

Hakkai broke it with a cheerful, "Oh look, there's a village."

"Finally!" Goku said in relief, "I'm starving to death! I'm so hungry!"

Suzume still was upset despite of her calm appearance. She couldn't believe that he still couldn't remember her. She had tried dropping hints and clues all day for him.

"_I don't even know you!"_

That idiot, he used to be the one who knew her more than anyone else.

* * *

><p>(About 14 years ago)<p>

It was raining outside. Young Suzume grimaced at the overgrown straw hat that was the only thing that was preventing her from getting too wet. Her master briskly walked ahead of her, only stopping to make sure that her student was catching up. "Hurry up before the rain gets heavier."

Her master's voice was always so strong and beautiful. Suzume wished that one day she would become as powerful and confident as her beautiful Master.

Her Master was a very important person. She was the Head Priestess, a title given to the most talented of the miko. This title is only passed down from one Head Priestess to the other. It was said that the moon herself marked the Head Priestesses when they were appointed to prove to the world that they were worthy.

A crescent-shaped mark on the right shoulder that emitted an eerie glow when the moonlight shone upon it

But not only that, her master was also her mother's older sister. That meant that she was also the only family that Suzume had.

They two stopped by a certain house's door and let themselves in. Koumyo was sitting by the window. He looked pleasantly surprised at the two's appearance. "Oh! I didn't hear you coming, Kaede! What are you doing here in such an hour? And little Sparrow is sopping wet!"

"Yes, yes, and she'll die from a terrible cold." Her master said dryly. Suzume giggled then sneezed, earning concerned looks from the two adults. Her master gently pushed her toward the direction of the baths. "Take a warm bath before you really do catch a cold."

Suzume sniffed and nodded before shuffling to the washing room.

Koumyo watched as the charming little girl made her way to take a warm wash. "I'm glad that we managed to save her. She brings so much life into this gloomy temple. Though, it was a bit tragic that we couldn't get there soon enough to save her parents." He stated in Japanese. "I apologize for the loss of your younger sister, Kaede."

Kaede sighed and sat across from the Sanzo. She ignored his statement about her sister and pursued the other topic at hand instead. "Is this a good idea, Koumyo? I want Suzume to have a normal life where she can meet her 'special other' and have children like any other girl."

"Yet she was given a peculiar gift that only a select few have." Koumyo pointed out. "Yes, she could've led a normal life if it was _just_ her ability to purify but she has the gift of sight also. Just like you yet even more potent."

Kaede shook her head. "Her mother was a sister of mine yet she never told me of Suzume's unique ability. Her parents were wise to keep her gift away from the world. If they had lived, she truly would've grown to be a wonderful noblewoman."

"Yes," Koumyo admitted, "but wouldn't that life be a bit boring?"

Kaede chuckled. "For a person like her? Probably."

The two enjoyed a peaceful silence and listened to the rain. Kaede flinched in surprise when she felt something warm wrap around her hand. She glanced down to see Koumyo's hand holding hers.

"Kaede…do you regret that choice you made?" Koumyo asked now in Chinese. Before Kaede could answer, she heard the door slide open and Koumyo's warm hand was gone in an instant.

"Master, I brought dinner."

Kaede could feel something different from the boy before she even laid eyes on him. There was just some strange warmth that he emitted. When she looked at him, she was surprised to see that he had hair of gold. If she didn't know that Koumyo was a man of holiness, she would've thought that the boy was his son.

And he was shining.

He looked a bit surprised to see her sitting across from his master. He composed himself and bowed in respect. "Ah, hello Miss."

He was very polite for his age.

Kaede returned his bow with a nod.

"Kouryuu, don't tell me that you forgot Kaede!" Koumyo said aghast. Kaede sent her friend a chiding look. "He was only an infant. How do you expect him to remember anything at that age?"

Kouryuu sent a puzzled look at Kaede. "I don't seem to remember meeting any woman."

"Well then, there's no harm in reintroducing myself. My name is Kaede and I am an old friend of your master's. I also had a hand in raising you during my stay here about eleven years ago due to your master's inexperience."

Koumyo pursed his lips with displeasure. "You forgot to mention that it was you who waded into the water with me to pull the basket out!"

"Yes, yes, I did that too. Apparently, your master remembers every detail of the experience." Kaede said in both amusement and annoyance. "You're worse than my mother!"

"Gah! Please refrain from comparing me with that wretched woman!"

"Koumyo!"

The Sanzo smiled innocently. "What? She called me a "weak-limbed", "no-good", and "pathetic" during our first and hopefully last encounter. At least I'm nice enough to say that when I'm not in her presence."

Kouryuu watched with interest at the lady who raised him long ago. He tried his best to find even an inkling of a memory but came up with nothing. That was a pity. He wanted to know what type of person this lady was. She must be nice. His master seems to like her, after all.

He didn't understand it back then, but the way that his master looked at Kaede was not a look that one would have when looking at a friend. Not that he would even remember this. Kouryuu had a tendency of forgetting some things that he deemed 'unimportant'.

"Excuse me. I'll be taking my leave now." Kouryuu said politely while rising. "I'll be in the washroom if you need anything, Master."

Koumyo was too busy with Kaede to pay too much attention to what his pupil said. "Yes, you do that Kouryuu."

After a little while, Koumyo and Kaede finally processed what the young blonde had told them and looked up in panic. "Oh no, Suzume-

"Eeeeeeek! Look away!"

Kouryuu entered into the washroom without looking up and stripped, unaware by the other presence in the room. If he were aware, he wouldn't have had any thought of it. He was used to living in a place without the different gender that the prospect of a girl being in there seemed impossible.

Unfortunately, that wasn't so.

Suzume saw him first and was too scared to make a sound. She had never had this kind of situation before. When he looked up, he saw her. It took him a few seconds to realize that the person in the washroom was a _girl_. He was struck dumb in shock. That gave her enough time to open up her mouth and let out a shriek.

The adults were there at a moment. Kaede quickly covered her sobbing student with a large piece of cloth and Koumyo calmly covered his beloved disciple's eyes.

After the chaos was all over, the two were left alone in the same room while the two adults talked alone in another room. Whatever the reason it was, Kouryuu cursed his master for the first time for being so insensitive. The two children had refused to even make eye contact because of their recent traumatic experience.

"S-Sorry."

Kouryuu looked at the girl in surprise. Her voice sounded a lot like Kaede's and their appearances were a bit similar so that put him into a little more at ease.

"I-It was my fault that it happened. I was a bit cold so I decided to t-take a warm bath. I h-hope you don't think badly of m-me now." The girl apologized guiltily. Kouryuu shook his head firmly. "I hate to say this, but I blame Master for not warning me that a girl was here. You're not at fault no matter what angle you look at it."

Suzume smiled weakly. "It's still strange, though. You're the very first boy, aside from Father, to see me like that."

Blushing, Kouryuu snapped, "Of course I was! That wasn't supposed to happen! No girl was supposed to see me either! It's pretty embarrassing for me too, you know!"

"T-Then do you promise not to tell anyone what you saw then if I don't tell anyone?" Suzume asked meekly.

"Why would I do that?" Kouryuu asked in annoyance. "Besides, I don't have anyone to tell it to anyways."

"M-Me too."

The thought that someone else had something in common with him made Kouryuu feel a little less…lonely. He looked back at the girl in interest. "Why? I thought someone like you would have bunches of friends by now."

"The girls that I met never really played with me because they said that I said weird things." Suzume wrinkled her nose. "But I was only telling the truth! And the monks here think I'm weird too. They say I'm 'dirty' and 'evil'. They also think that I'm putting curses on the temple because I always hang these." She produced a Teru-teru-bozu from her robe.

Kouryuu raised his eyebrows. "That was you? What are those things for?"

"Yeah." Suzume nodded. "These are Teru-teru-bozu dolls. Dolls that drive rain away. I thought that it would be nice if it didn't rain so much so Master Koumyo can admire the sun more. Though," she frowned slightly, "I didn't have a chance to hang them yesterday. I think that's why it rained so much."

Kouryuu snorted. This girl…she hung up all those dolls just for that? "Those idiots have no idea what they're saying. You being a scary witch was just some sort of stupid rumor after all."

"So you don't think that way?" Suzume curiously asked.

Kouryuu shook his head. "Nope, you just took a bath so there's no way that you're 'dirty' and I just can't picture you as something 'evil'. You look too cute to be something bad." He muttered the last part a bit reluctantly with a red face.

Suzume also had a similar color on her cheeks. "No one ever told me that before. People say that I'm plain. Look at this hair. It's such a dull color compared to yours. My eyes too are like the color of mud while yours is like…like that pretty gem that Father used to like. I think it's called an amethyst."

Kouryuu fingered his hair. "This hair had brought me nothing but trouble. What's so special about it? And my eyes sometimes scare people. It's better to have normal, plain features."

"Can I touch it?" It was a childish question yet to the two it was a very personal subject. Kouryuu mulled over it for a moment before crawling toward Suzume. He stopped in front of her and bent his head down so it would be easier for her to reach.

Suzume's little hands reached out and intertwined with the golden strands. She marveled at how soft they were. "Strange," she murmured. A little hurt by her comment, Kouryuu was about to back away but hesitated when he heard the other part of her statement. "I expected your hair to be untouchable. You know, like the sunlight."

"What's your name?" Kouryuu blurted out, a bit uncomfortable with the nice things that she was saying to him.

"Mine is Suzume. Yours?"

"Kouryuu."

She took her hands away from his hair and bent down so Kouryuu could see her smile.

"Well Kouryuu, I think there's nothing wrong with your hair. It feels nice to touch and it smells nice. I guess the others are just jealous. Your hair reminds me of the sun that appears after a storm. Beautiful."

And for once, Kouryuu thought the same.

"Hey, do you want to make some Teru-teru-bozu dolls with me?"

* * *

><p>Suzume quietly excused herself and went to her room early without eating any dinner. She claimed to be tired and assured the others that she would eat in a later time.<p>

Yuki glowered at the Sanzo priest from her seat across the table. "You, monk, go upstairs and apologize for being a stupid jackass."

"And since when do I listen to mouthy little Brats?" Sanzo shot back with equal intensity. Yuki smirked evilly at his comment. "Since you realize that 'this Brat' can blabber out to the others the reason why you overreacted."

"Why did Sanzo react like that, Yuki?" Goku asked. Yuki grinned and opened her mouth just to have Sanzo's hand cover her mouth. She also felt the metal end of the gun against her temple. "Speak and die."

"Child harassment!" Yuki cried out while whacking him on the head with her iron fan multiple times. Something fell out of her pocket and rolled onto the floor. Sanzo picked it up and inspected it critically. "What's this?"

"It's Suzume's treasure! She gave it me for safekeeping! Give if back you big fat JERK! And you still have to apologize to her!"

"Fine! I'll go up to her and make her come back down but I won't apologize!" Sanzo snarled and stormed away with the item still clutched in his hand.

Yuki's satisfied smile faltered a little as she watched the monk go. Hopefully they would forgive each other. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Goku, noticing that she looked a little down, poked her lightly on the side. "Sanzo will say _something_ that will make her feel better. Him apologizing might be asking a bit too much, though." He pushed his ice cream to her. "Here. Eat something sweet and cheer up already!"

Aoi smiled at the sweet little scene. "Now that is the sweetest thing I've ever seen. Now all we need is a certain _someone_ to apologize."

Hakkai grimaced. "Easier said than done."

* * *

><p>Suzume frowned a little as she held out a little Teru-teru-bozu doll and looked back up at the cloudy-looking sky. She was currently sitting at a deck that allowed her to sit outside. Let it rain then. She didn't want to see the sun for now.<p>

He forgot everything so easily…

"Tch, I knew that it was just a coincidence."

Suzume restrained herself from groaning at the sound of the moody monk's voice. He was the last person who she wanted to see at the moment. He noisily sat across from her and lit a cigarette.

Suzume refused to speak or look at him.

After a while, Sanzo spoke. "I overreacted." That was the closest he was ever going to get to an apology. "Happy now?"

"And tell me, good monk, how does that statement make me happy?" Suzume asked sarcastically.

"Gah! You women! How much does it take to make you happy?" Sanzo asked in frustration and threw his hands up. Suzume eyed him wryly. "You can apologize."

"No way. Never did, never will."

Another silence fell between the two.

Sanzo grimaced at the strange feeling that was wrapping its coils around his stomach. He felt as though he swallowed lead. This strange feeling started ever since he saw the pained look on the woman's face as she muttered her apologies back in the jeep. It was obviously connected to that.

"Sorry."

Suzume looked up in surprise. "What was that?"

"If you didn't hear me then it's your loss, woman." The heavy feeling was gone now thank Buddha. That was going to be the last time that he was ever going to apologize.

Suzume suppressed a smile and looked down at her little doll.

He looked down at the object in his hand. Oh yeah, didn't that brat tell him that this thing was her treasure? It looked like some sort of box. "Oi woman, here."

Suzume turned just in time to see the box sailing toward her face. She caught it clumsily and looked at it. "Oh! It's my box! Where did you get this? I thought I gave this to Yuki for safekeeping!"

"Well she's doing a shitty job of it so I'm returning it to you."

She made something that sounded like a snort before turning away.

Suzume clutched the box and chanted something under her breath before a clicking sound is heard. From the box, a wooden set of prayer beads poured from it and into her hands.

Sanzo looked at the necklace in recognition. Isn't that-?

* * *

><p><em>(About 12 years ago)<em>

"_Kouryuu! I don't wanna go!" Suzume sobbed as she clutched the end of his robe. "Who'll tell me stories before I go to sleep? Who'll wake me up every morning? Who'll help me wash my back?"_

"_Shush! You weren't supposed to say anything about that!" Kouryuu hissed in embarrassment. He glanced at his master's direction and was relieved to see that he didn't hear them. He reached for something under the folds of his robes. "Here. I know you're no Buddhist, but it's something."_

_Suzume looked at the wooden necklace in awe. "Really? Are you really giving this to me, Kouryuu? But you were found with this!"_

"_Nah, I have another one that looks exactly like it. In this way, I'll be able to recognize you when we meet again! Because it's an ultra-rare item!"_

_Suzume clutched the necklace tightly._

"_Will you promise that we'll meet again?" Suzume inquired. Kouryuu flicked her forehead. "Idiot girl, you know that I always keep my promises."_

"_I'll be meeting you again before you know it."_

* * *

><p>"Hey, Yuki. You still didn't tell me why Sanzo overreacted like that." Goku stated with a mouth full of…whatever it was. Knowing Goku, it could be anything.<p>

Gojyo leaned in. "Oh, _this_ is something that I'd like to hear."

Kasumi, now awake and as happy as ever, smiled in excitement and Aoi made a smirk that mirrored Gojyo's. "Yes please do tell."

"Well, he was upset about the 'Holy Agreement'." Yuki blurted out excitedly.

A moment of silence before…

A gasp from Kasumi, "Really? No wonder!"

Aoi cackled. "Oh Kami, I'm seriously going to rub this on the cranky Monk's face! He's seriously not going to live this one down!"

Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku shared looks of pure bewilderment. "Um, what is this 'Holy Agreement?"

"The 'Holy Agreement' is an agreement made between the Chinese Monks and the Japanese Shrine Maidens to respect each other's cultures by making a special 'bond' between the best of the best." Yuki explained, "Which means the five Sanzo and the one Head Priestess. There's all these other mumbo jumbo stuff about the bond but there's one part that takes the cake."

Aoi picked up on the explanation from there. "When a Sanzo and a Head Priestess cross paths, the _Miko_ officially becomes the Sanzo's."

"Which means that Suzume is something like Sanzo's spiritual wife!" Kasumi piped in excitedly.

"Oh, that makes sense." Goku stated while nodding.

"Yeah, if you put it that way." Gojyo agreed.

It took a few seconds before the information sank in for the two.

"WAIT, WHAT? HIS WIFE?"

* * *

><p><em>"I'll be meeting you before you know it."<em>

The wooden prayer beads fell onto the ground with a noisy clatter but Suzume didn't really care about that. She stood stock-still in shock as she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her. The cigarette lay on the ground, forgotten.

Trying to act unaffected, she coolly looked over her shoulder. "Took you a while to remember, _baka_."

"Shut up, the idiocy from the other two is contagious. It's not surprising that I lost a part of my mind during my two years of traveling with them." Sanzo…no, Kouryuu muttered. "Don't ruin it. I'm trying to give a warm, friendly 'welcome back' as Master used to call it. Am I even doing it right?"

Suzume knew she couldn't stay angry with her friend for too long.

"Well, it looks more like a romantic 'welcome back' more than anything." Suzume joked but returned the embrace with equal warmth, maybe even more. "But I'm glad that you remembered, even if it took a really, really **long **time."

"Shut up and fill me in with what I missed with your life."

"That's a bit hard, how can I 'shut up' and 'talk' at the same time? Try making more sense, Kouryuu." Suzume teased only to have her forehead flicked.

"You know what I mean."

Suzume smiled at him and beckoned him over to sit. The monk grumbled but obeyed. She was family and one of the last part of his precious past that wasn't taken away from him…yet.

Suzume sat across from him and told him everything that happened since she left the temple. In all that while, Sanzo lit his cigarette and listened with rapt attention.

The storm clouds rolled away and the setting sun was clear enough for everyone to see and miss.

But not Suzume

She had her sun right there.

"_**Your hair…it's like the sun."**_

* * *

><p>And...CUT!<p>

Here's the third chapter! Whew! I thought I would never finish this one. It was a bit hard to write but I think it turned out better than I expected it to be. Hopefully, you all liked it and enjoyed it like the others.

Sorry if Sanzo's a little OOC here, his character is really hard to write.

Oh, and I've been meaning to ask this for a while but...

Are the pairings clear enough? I mean, if it is, I'll just keep writing the way I am but if it isn't, I'll try my best to make it more clearer. My writing is impossible to understand sometimes. -.-

Don't forget to REVIEW! I just love my REVIEWS!


	5. Pride

Hey people! I'm back with another chapter! Now lets get to business!

(Clears throat and takes a deep breath)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Saiyuki (manga or anime) nor its sequels and prequels. As much as I want to own the characters in the manga/anime, I'm sad to say I do not. I only own Kasumi, Yuki, Suzume, and Aoi (plus other minor characters)

(Gasps)

Okay! Now that's all over, onwards with the journey!

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 4: Pride

(About 14 years ago)

"Half-breed filth! Get out of this house!"

A young Kasumi was flung out of her Aunt's house. She had just broken her Aunt's china and it wasn't even her favorite. Kasumi tried to stumble up to her feet but collapsed. Her legs were too weak to hold her body. They were more like sticks than legs. Her fingers were all cut up from the shards that she tried to pick up.

Her face bruised by her drunken uncle

Her ribs and nose, broken by her cruel so-called cousins

Her stomach empty because her aunt refused to give her food that she couldn't work for

Kasumi rolled onto her back and ignored the mud that covered her clothes, more like tattered pieces of cloth. It was a miracle that she was able to obtain this one piece of clothing. A kind fisherman's son gave it to her out of pity. "Because you're a Hanyou." He had said.

A hanyou…

Kasumi touched her ears. They looked more like the ears of an animal than the ears of a human. It wasn't only that, she had hair with the color of oranges and eyes that reflected water, something that everyone but fishermen feared. She was despised because of the blood that she carried.

Her father's blood

Her aunt had just thrown her out for now, but Kasumi knew that she would call her back in. Who else would do the work and labor in the house?

Sometimes, Kasumi wished that she could just die.

"Kasumi? What are you doing on the ground? Was it your Aunt again?"

That warm voice, Kasumi looked up and recognized the person almost immediately. He was their neighbor and a martial arts instructor, Kazuma. He was the only one who took the time to stop everything that he was doing to check on her.

Sometimes, when she had time, she would visit his dojo and learn a little martial art just to spend a little more time with him. She had always thought of him as her father.

He was the only one who truly cared.

He held out her hand. "Let's get you into my house. We need to get your wounds cleaned and wrapped before they get infected."

"Thank you, Kazuma-san. You've always been so nice to me even though I did nothing for you and you always help me when I'm in trouble." Kasumi said hoarsely. Kazuma only smiled and patted her head. "Of course, Kasumi."

"I love you like a daughter, after all."

_**Then why? Why did you leave me?**_

* * *

><p>Kasumi woke up from her sleep to have the sun shining its unforgiving rays at her eyes. She winced. There wasn't a tree in sight so that was understandable. She flinched when she realized that she wasn't in the room that she was sleeping in last night but in the jeep.<p>

"Morning, sweetheart. Had a nice dream?"

Kasumi relaxed. She was on Gojyo-nii's lap. He was a good person so she had nothing to worry about. She liked the comforting emotions that he emitted. They made her feel safe and secure. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "How did I get in the jeep, Gojyo-nii? I thought I was in an inn."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't wake up so I decided to carry you into the jeep so you could get your sleep." Gojyo explained. Kasumi cuddled up against him like a kit would do to its mother. "I'm lucky."

Gojyo smirked and patted her head. "Anything for you, sweetheart."

"Sweetheart? Isn't that a nickname that you call a person that you love?" Kasumi questioned curiously. "You should save that name for that special someone."

Gojyo doubted that he'd have only **one** of those.

"Then what should I call you?"

Goku interrupted the conversation, now realizing that Kasumi was awake. "Hey Kasumi! What took you so long in getting up, huh? I was so bored! Do you wanna play cards with me? Oh, what about 'I Spy'?"

"Shut up, you stupid monkey! I was carrying a conversation with her, if you didn't notice! Go on and play with someone your own age!" Gojyo snapped. Goku's expression of excitement soured and he scowled at the red haired hanyou. "You were probably trying to hit on her anyways, you perverted kappa! I want to play with Kasumi! She's fun! Besides," He glanced at the front where Yuki was napping. "Yuki doesn't look like she's going to wake up any time soon."

"Then I'll _wake_ her up, idiot!" Gojyo said, beginning to move forward.

At this suggestion, Kasumi flinched in fright and pushed him back roughly. Gojyo coughed in surprise at her sudden strength. Aoi looked up from reading some sort of book and smirked in amusement. "Please don't wake her up! _Never_ wake her up when she doesn't want to!"

"Okay, okay, I won't." Gojyo winced. As much as he loved having a woman's hands on his chest, her push probably left two hand-shaped bruises. "Dang woman, you're strong."

Kasumi tipped her head to the side in confusion. "Strong?"

"Kasumi, you have to understand that Chinese hanyou aren't like you. That includes Gojyo." Aoi explained calmly.

Hakkai, who just happened to overhear Aoi's little piece of information, asked, "What's different about the Hanyou in Japan. We already have the appearances covered, but are there more differences?"

"Apparently," Aoi snorted, "For one, if Gojyo over there was dumped into Japan by chance, he'd be considered a _human_ not a hanyou and he'd be laughed at if he ever claimed to be one."

"Oh? And why is that?" Hakkai questioned. Both ignored the fuming Gojyo. "Hey! Stop talking as if I'm not here!"

Aoi listed off the facts while counting them off with her fingers. "Hanyou in Japan inherit not only some parts of their youkai parent's "true form" but they inherit their youkai parent's abnormal strength, acute sense of smell, sensitive hearing, and many other characteristics that may vary."

"So you're saying that Gojyo is weak." Hakkai bluntly stated with a smile on his face.

Aoi nodded gleefully. "Yup! You got that right!"

"HEY!" Gojyo shouted.

Goku started to laugh uncontrollably and Sanzo snickered from where he sat.

Kasumi patted Gojyo's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry about it! At least you don't have to worry about accidently hurting someone." Her eyes crinkled in concern. "I didn't hurt you that badly, did I?"

"Nah, your push was nothing." Gojyo lied. There was absolutely no way that he was going to admit that he got bruised by a simple push in front of Goku and Sanzo.

Kasumi looked a little doubtful. "You're lying."

"And what makes you so confident about that?" Gojyo questioned.

Aoi smirked. "If Kasumi says you're lying, then you're lying. She's like our personal lie detector."

Hakkai once again became interested. "Lie detector? How does that work? Is that another ability that she has?"

"Now that's a special ability that only one in a million people have." Aoi said proudly but dimmed down a bit. "Though this thing is hers to explain. Kasumi? Are you comfortable in telling them?"

Kasumi bit her lip and climbed from her perch on Gojyo's lap. "Um…I guess it's okay to tell them. Just promise not to freak out or anything like that?" She asked Gojyo, Goku, and Hakkai. She knew that the Sanzo priest wouldn't care. She felt it. "I can read your feelings, emotions, and overall character. In some cases, like now, I can _feel_ it like it's mine except it's not."

Goku nodded, telling her that he understood. "Okay, you can read our emotions. So what's the bad thing about it?"

"Let's say that my ability is that radio thing except I can't turn it off. I can muffle it a little but that's it. And the voices are literally screaming everything at me." Kasumi said while looking down. "You get used to the noise once in a while, right? But what happens if you **can't** muffle it because it's too loud?"

"It gets annoying?" Goku asked.

Kasumi nodded. "Now lets replace the radio voice with the screams of people begging for help, people yelling in rage, people suffering from hunger. What happens then?"

Goku looked at Kasumi with horror. "You can hear all of that?"

"No Goku, I can feel it which makes it a thousand times worse."

A tense silence filled the Jeep and Yuki shifted on Suzume's lap as if she sensed the tension in the air.

Kasumi suddenly clapped her hands, breaking the silence like a knife. "What's with the doom and gloom, people? I thought that this was supposed to be a _happy _conversation! Hey Goku, want to learn some Japanese?"

From that point, everyone acted like their normal selves but Kasumi knew that it wasn't the case. The emotion of pity covered the air like a blanket. Although she appreciated that they felt no disgust, pity was the last thing that she needed.

Well, not Sanzo. He didn't really seem to care about her ability. Something about his unsurprised aura told her that Suzume told him about her own strange quirk.

Kasumi had to admit that Suzume's ability was a bit more extreme than her own. To be able to see the fates and pasts of other people must be a bit scary, not to mention a bit sad.

"Kasumi, do you know what we're all feeling right now?" Goku asked suddenly. Gojyo whacked him over the head. "Stop being so insensitive, you stupid monkey!"

"No, it's fine." Kasumi assured him cheerfully. She turned to Goku as said. "You're curious, scared, amazed, and…hungry." She giggled at the last part. Goku's stomach grumbled as if on cue and the pair laughed. Hakkai, Aoi, and Gojyo joined in. Suzume merely smiled.

Goku stopped smiling and frowned. Kasumi stopped laughing when she felt a strong wave of his guilt hit her. "What's wrong, Goku?"

"I…I pitied you for a second there, Kasumi. I pitied you instead of admiring your strength because you're really, really strong to still be able to still smile. I just realized that. Sorry for thinking that way. It must've felt terrible to be pitied." Goku apologized sincerely.

Shock. That was what she felt and she was more than sure that it was her own emotion that she was feeling at that moment.

Kasumi smiled sadly. "It's okay. Emotions shouldn't be guided or shackled though no one ever talked to me face to face about this except this bunch." She said while gesturing to the other girls.

Aoi smirked. "Well, you have awesome me, understanding Suzume, and crazy Yuki by your side as friends. Of course we'd confront you about your insanely cool abilities."

A heavy-looking paperweight flew at Aoi's face. Luckily, she expected this coming and dodged it effortlessly. "Oi! You can actually break my beautiful face with that, Brat!"

Someone was up.

"Who's the crazy one?" Yuki questioned, ignoring Aoi's obvious anger.

"You of course!" Aoi hollered before narrowly avoiding a flying sandal. Goku caught it before it flew overboard. "Pity, it didn't hit you."

Sanzo twitched a little with all the noise coming from the back** and** the front. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder comfortingly and relaxed a little. He turned to Suzume who smiled apologetically for her friends' behavior.

Yuki watched this with a nostalgic expression.

Kasumi felt affection coming from the front and glanced subtly at the 'holy pair'. They others didn't bring up 'The Holy Agreement' yet. It's either the fact that they're still shocked by the news or that they were waiting for the perfect time to bring it up and tease the Sanzo Priest about it endlessly.

It was more likely that it was the latter.

"Oh, that reminds me," Hakkai said suddenly, "congratulations, Sanzo."

Yup, it was the latter.

Sanzo tossed his finished cigarette out of the jeep. "Congratulations about what?"

"Well you're practically married now with Miss Suzume, isn't that right?" Hakkai stated cheerfully, making the monk choke on whatever drink he was drinking. Suzume's face turned into an interestingly crimson color that rivaled Gojyo's hair. She distracted herself by helping Sanzo, who was still coughing.

Yuki gave her friend a mocking smile. "Awww, aren't you the perfect wife? Helping your husband like that, you better feel lucky, monk. The last High Priestess was about forty years old when she died. You were about this close into being engaged to an old lady."

Kasumi could _feel_ the embarrassment radiating from Suzume. "Knock it off, Yuki. You're embarrassing Suzume too."

"What gave you the idea that we're married? I'm a _priest_, dammit!" Sanzo hissed at the driver. Hakkai shrugged, "Ask little Yuki. She seemed to understand the situation more than all of us."

Sanzo took out his gun. "Mind explaining, Brat?"

"What? I never said that I wouldn't tell if they asked." She said offhandedly. "Besides, they would be bound to know sooner or later. The Holy Agreement is pretty well-known around these parts, or so I heard."

"That doesn't explain why they're thinking that we're married." Sanzo snarled.

"Oh, that. Aoi was the one who compared it to marriage and I guess the idea stuck. It makes sense if you see it in a certain way, Priest. Doesn't the pact require you two to sleep in the same room?"

Gojyo groaned at that. "You lucky bastard!"

"Shut up you perverted kappa. It's not as intimate as you think." Aoi told him. "They may sleep _next_ to each other not _with _each other."

"Is there a difference?" Kasumi asked curiously. Aoi shook her head. "We're going to have the talk one day, my friend. Just not now when you're surrounded by men."

Kasumi looked confused but nodded. "Okay, Aoi! Whatever you say!"

Aoi hugged her best friend and gave Gojyo a pointed look over Kasumi's shoulder. "You better not have had any lustful emotions toward her during this trip. I want to keep Kasumi pure as long as possible."

* * *

><p>Youkai surrounded the jeep in alarming numbers. Aoi looked as if she just hit the jackpot. "Oh goodie, there's just so many! I wonder if they have a 'true form'. That would be very useful once they're dead. I never really paid attention to those details during the war."<p>

It's amazing how relentlessly the youkai came to face the Sanzo-ikkou. It was only the fourth day (or was it the fifth?) and the girls quickly learned this fact. The setting was a forest so it was hard for them to see the youkai before they were surrounded.

Not that it was dangerous situation or anything. It was just that it was annoying.

"They don't." Yuki stated flatly, making the blue head deflate a little before lightening up again. "Oh well! I still get to do some exercise~!"

Kasumi picked up her sword. "I guess _Jien_ needs some blood too."

"Did you really have to name your katana with such a human-like name? I'd understand if it was a pet but it's not. Pets are supposed to be cute and fluffy. That thing is not cute nor is it fluffy."

Kasumi stuck her tongue out at Aoi. "Jien had a much more cooler name but I had to…give its original name away to a person who needed it more than my katana. So, its name is Jien. Deal with it!"

"Is this some kind of joke? We're here for the sutra and the monk! Not for some meddling, weak women. Step aside!" A youkai snapped, interrupting the casual conversation between the pair.

Aoi flicked a throwing knife at the rude youkai's way, silencing him and setting the others into an edge. "Good. Now you youkai scums know better to be rude to us young ladies."

"Young Ladies? More a like psychotic, insane human woman armed with countless tiny yet deadly weapons and an airheaded, bubbly hanyou swinging a scrap of a sword." Yuki 'helpfully' corrected.

Aoi ignored the silver-haired girl. "Look, we're with the monk so if you want to cross him, you better beat us first which I _really _doubt will happen."

"You wench!" A brave or impossibly stupid youkai snarled and lunged at Aoi.

Lets just say that Aoi took it as her cue to attack all of the youkai freely. She snorted when her blades sliced up the youkai effortlessly. "Oh come **on**, youkai back in Japan has harder skin than this! You guys are making me look more like a _ninja_ than a demonslayer! That's embarrassing for both you guys and me! Come at me with your all, you soft skins!"

Kasumi was also hacking away at the youkai. She, unlike Aoi, killed them quickly. She liked these youkai better than the ones back home. None had referred to her as a "half-breed" or "filthy-blood" yet. So for that, she gave these youkai the quickest and most painless deaths. "What's wrong with ninjas, Aoi?"

"Nothing's wrong with them, Kasumi. It's just that they refuse to touch the weapons of a demonslayer and resort to using normal weapons. Not that it's bad, but that causes them to chase after the small-fry youkai. I feel like I'm fighting small-fries."

Then, they heard Suzume call out. "I think that would be enough exercise for the day, don't you agree girls? You do realize that I just washed those clothes that you're wearing, right?"

Kasumi and Aoi looked at her clothes and laughed sheepishly at the same time. "Sorry~"

"Whores! Don't forget that we're here!"

Surprisingly, Aoi didn't react to that insult and simply stepped back. "The show's all yours Suzume. We're done here."

"Yeah!" Kasumi agreed while flicking the blood off of her katana. "I'm a little bored now."

Yuki climbed to Hakuryuu's trunk and took out Suzume's bow and arrows. She passed it to the miko with an excited gleam in her eyes. "You guys are going to see a great treat. You're going to have the honor of watching a purification."

Sanzo leaned forward in interest. "Now _this_ I have to see."

Suzume notched her arrow and drew it back. The arrowhead was already glowing with that pink eerie light that always looked a bit beautiful to Yuki's eyes. Suzume chanted in Japanese under her breath. "And shalt all thou sins be washed away by this holy light." She finished before releasing the arrow.

The youkai didn't even have the time to process what happened to them before the light swallowed them. When the bright light dimmed and faded away, the youkai were nowhere to be seen.

It was as if they never existed in the first place.

"Whoa…" Goku stared at the empty space in awe and with a little fear.

Gojyo whistled. "That's some power there."

"I can't help but feel a little scared." Hakkai stated honestly. "I'll be sure not to get onto her bad side in the future."

Suzume slung her bow over her shoulder. "Shall we proceed traveling?"

Kasumi could feel pride from the Sanzo priest. It was faint and very well hidden, but she could feel it. She understood the message that Suzume was sending to him as she approached the jeep.

'I can take care of myself'.

Kasumi smiled softly at this before freezing. Her animal-like ears twitched and she instinctively drew her katana. She heard something move at her right but the wind was blowing at that some direction so she couldn't smell who or what they were. Seeing her obvious discomfort, the others readied their weapons. Yuki looked at Kasumi. "What is it?"

"I don't know. The wind makes it hard to catch their scent."

Yuki snorted. "Really now? Okay, then. Let's resort to the old fashioned way." She took a step toward the direction Kasumi was facing and hollered. "If you cowards don't come out of your hiding place RIGHT NOW, I'll **blast** your asses out of there!"

As if to prove her point, she jammed her iron fan into the ground and a crack in the earth was immediately created. The earth trembled a bit as if complaining about the poor way it was being treated.

"I…think you overdid it." Aoi said with a sweatdrop.

Yuki scoffed. "Overdid it? That was just me being gentle because I respect the environment. I would've destroyed the whole forest if I 'overdid it'."

"Yeah," Aoi said sarcastically, "I bet the environment appreciates your gentleness."

A figure stumbled out into the open with hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, you got me but I'm not here to fight. Well, not for now anyways."

Kasumi could smell the person's scent more clearly now. Her eyes flashed in recognition and a wide smile appeared in her lips. She sheathed her weapon before running toward the figure. She jumped and tackled the person down. "I can't believe it! You're here!"

"Easy there, kid. You're not as light as you were the last time I saw you." A masculine voice sounded. The youkai's face wasn't visible from the other's angle but that didn't really matter for the Sanzo-ikkou. They already recognized his voice. Seriously, who else would be carrying around such a strange-looking sword? Kasumi grinned and the person more tightly. "Jien…"

Sha Jien, or Dokugakuji (make your pick), awkwardly patted the hanyou's head. "Hey Kid."

And then, the unexpected happened.

Kasumi. Sweet, innocent, kind Kasumi…

Punched Dokugakuji in the gut without holding back. I'm sorry. Did I say punch?

I meant she pummeled his ass.

"You big, fat, JERK!" She yelled while kneeing his stomach. "Did you know how worried I was when you didn't contact me after that incident? I thought you were _dead_."

"I'm sorry!" Dokugakuji squacked while avoiding another punch. When Kasumi's fist made contact with the ground, it made a freakishly deep crater. "How was I supposed to know that you returned to Japan?"

"I TOLD you that I was going to go back home REMEMBER? Or did you forget that too?" Kasumi scowled, which looked strange on her usually cheerful expression.

Guilt covered Dokugakuji's face and he stopped dodging her blows. Thankfully, Kasumi had the ability to control her punches and managed to stop her fist from hitting his face just a few millimeters from his cheek. "Really Kasumi, I'm sorry that I worried you. I had no idea. Honest."

"…"

"I'm really-

"Okay! I forgive you!" Kasumi interrupted cheerfully while withdrawing her fist.

Everyone sweatdropped at her sudden change of character. Yuki shook her head. "You're hopeless. You can't hold a grudge, can you? How softhearted. If I were you, I'd cut him down on the spot."

Dokugakuji inwardly shivered. He had experienced the silver-haired girl's strength, and if she wasn't bluffing about holding back before, he was sure that she'd do more than 'cut him down'.

Not just that, he saw how strong the other girls were too. The blue haired girl seemed pretty efficient with her weapons and the strange woman with the bow obliterated more than half of the youkai army with just an arrow. And not to mention _Kasumi_, she's a monster with her bare fists alone.

He was beginning to dread the day that he would have to face them.

The jeep dissolved and turned back into Hakuryuu. The little dragon flew over to the blue-eyed hanyou and plopped down onto her shoulder. Hakkai raised his brow at the white dragon's obvious fondness for the hanyou. "It seems that Hakuryuu is tired."

"Okay monkey, let's pitch the tents." Gojyo said in a defeated tone. His eyes wandered over to Kasumi chattering animatedly to Dokugakuji. Aoi couldn't help but notice some strange expression in those red eyes. It was the same expression he had when Goku touched Kasumi's strange ears.

_Could it be that he's-no, that couldn't be it._ Aoi threw that thought over the hills.

Kasumi smiled at her friend. "So, do you want to eat some meat? I can go and catch something big for you to celebrate."

"Ah man, are we going to camp again?" Aoi complained. "And I wanted to reach the next town and take a shower."

"Then go jump into a river then." Kasumi suggested helpfully. "There's one a bit to the west."

Aoi was about to retort to the statement before reconsidering. "You know what? I think I _will_ do that. Suzume, are you coming?"

Suzume looked up from her conversation with Sanzo. She and Aoi shared a look before she looked back at Sanzo, silently begging him to let her go. He clicked his tongue but he gently pushed her to Aoi's direction. "Don't blame me if you catch a cold, useless woman."

"Thank you!"

Sanzo snorted and lifted the cup of tea that she had prepared for him to his lips. He distantly remembered that she had called it 'green tea' back in the time when she served it to him and his Master.

Amused, Hakkai went over to Sanzo. "Well, it seems that our Sanzo has a soft spot for Miss Suzume."

From behind, Goku and Gojyo snickered at the comment.

Sanzo choked the second of the day.

While he coughed, he drew his gun and pointed at the 'idiot pair'. Protests immediately sounded in the camp. "Hey! Hakkai was the one who said that! Why are you pointing that gun at us?"

"Yeah!" Goku agreed with Gojyo. "You're just embarrassed!"

Gunshots echoed through the campsite and Dokugakuji flinched. He was still a bit uncomfortable sitting in the middle of his enemy's camp. Kasumi helped calm his anxiety but he was still a bit cautious.

"So how do you know Sanzo-sama, Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo-nii?" Kasumi asked, drawing his attention back to her. He scratched the back of his head. Right, she didn't know about him being their sort of-kind of enemy.

"When I'm with Kou, I'm their enemy."

Instead of yelling at him and kicking him out of the camp like a normal person, Kasumi just nodded as if he just told her what the weather was going to be tomorrow. "Okay. So who's this Kou?"

"Kou is the person who I follow and respect." Dokugakuji responded simply. Kasumi looked into his eyes for a long moment before smiling. "So he's your 'pride' then. That's good, you found someone like that. I'd like to meet him someday. So what's this Kou like?"

"Oh! You mean Kougaiji?" Goku joined the conversation excitedly. "He's this really, really strong guy! I like him!"

Yuki gave him a dry look. "How can you like the enemy?"

"Well, they're not 'enemies' really. More like, they work half-time to kill us or attempt to get the Sutra, which also requires the killing." Hakkai explained to the little, silver-haired girl patiently.

Yuki snorted. "Then you're saying that Doku-whatever is your enemy who's conveniently taking a break on his half-time 'job'?"

"Pretty much."

"Don't worry Yuki," Kasumi assured her, "he doesn't feel hostile at the moment. If he's going to try anything, he knows that he'll have to deal with me first. Oh, and he's scared of you."

Dokugakuji shot Kasumi a look. "Stop digging into my mind!"

"I'm not reading your mind, baka, I read your emotions."

"Same thing!"

Kasumi shook her head. "No it's not. Besides, I can't control it. If you want me to stop, then stop feeling."

Gojyo sat next to Kasumi with his trademark smirk and put an arm around her shoulder. "Stop harassing her already, Bro! I thought you had more manners!"

"Wait…" Kasumi turned to Gojyo with surprise and then at Dokugakuji. "Bro? As in…brother? You're his brother?" She gave Dokugakuji an accusing look. "You didn't tell me that you had a brother!"

Dokugakuji held up his hands in defense. "I didn't tell you a lot of things."

Kasumi pouted. "Not fair! And you know lots about me, Jien!"

"Stop calling me by that name. It's Dokugakuji now, remember?"

"But it's weird when I call you 'Dokugakuji'! That's the name I gave my sword! I have rights!" Kasumi wagged her finger at his face. Dokugakuji decided that he would lose in this argument anyways so he dropped it and changed the subject.

"So how did you end up here? Were you traveling in this direction too?"

Kasumi shrugged. "A pretty lady (Yuki: "You mean old hag.") sent us all the way here from Japan so we can help them with…something."

"He doesn't need to be troubled with those things, Kasumi." Suzume's voice suddenly said all the attention was drawn to the now sopping wet Suzume accompanied by an equally soaked Aoi. Even her clothes were soaked through. Yuki snickered. "I know Kasumi said 'Jump into a river' but I don't think she meant it like that."

Kasumi looked concerned. "What happened?"

"Aoi decided that it would be funny to drag me into the water when I had all of my clothes on." Suzume told them grimly. Sanzo snickered at her predicament at which she glared at him for. Aoi spluttered. "I didn't mean to! I swear that I slipped!"

"And you thought it was necessary to take me down with you?"

Hakkai came over to the pair with two towels. He gave one to Sanzo and gave him a hard look. "If you don't mind, please take care of your wife, Sanzo. She's sopping wet."

"Wife?" Dokugakuji asked incredulously. No, he must've misheard. There was no way that a priest would be able to marry.

Ignoring Dokugakuji, Sanzo dropped the cigarette he was smoking and crushed the end with the heel of his boots. "And why should I help her? She's a big girl and she has you to help her."

Kasumi knew from his emotions that he was a bit amused but a bit concerned as well. He just…wasn't one who would express it. She could also feel that he would help anyways eventually.

Males, she never really got why they always thought that it was necessary to appear 'tough' and 'strong'.

"Well, if you haven't noticed, she's wearing a white top."

"So?"

Hakkai sighed. "She's wet."

"…And?"

"Does he have to spell it out to you?" Gojyo asked in a loud voice. "Whatever's under that white top she's wearing is going to be visible to the world, fake monk! Though," he squinted his eyes in an over exaggerated way, "The view seems nice."

Suzume self-consciously wrapped her arms around herself and blushed a deep red color.

That action seemed unneeded due to the fact that Sanzo was at her side at an instant with a towel. As he hurriedly wrapped it around her to cover her figure, he glared fiercely at Gojyo. "Look away you perverted kappa!"

Hakkai went over to Aoi and handed the towel over to Aoi, knowing that it wouldn't be necessary for him to wrap it around her for her. She reached out for it with a thankful grin.

When their hands made contact, a jolt ran through their bodies.

The towel dropped. Aoi stooped down to retrieve it.

"I apologize, it seems that the towel is dirtied now. Do you want me to get another one Miss Aoi?" Hakkai asked calmly. Aoi shook her head, quickly recovering from the momentary shock. "Nah, it's just a little dirt."

Kasumi placed her hands over both Gojyo and Goku's eyes. Dokugakuji had already turned in back on the sight in respect for the woman's privacy a while ago. "Suzume's body is only reserved for her holy husband to see. Please respect this and look away."

"Pfffft! Holy husband!" Gojyo chortled but made no move to remove Kasumi's hand from his face. He enjoyed the nice, cool feeling it gave.

Embarrassment seeped from Sanzo and he attempted to cover it up with a "shut up".

He herded Suzume to the fire to dry, never once breaking contact from her.

It was as if he expected that she would disappear into thin air or turn into ashes the moment he released her.

* * *

><p>Dokugakuji left after a few more hours of conversing with Kasumi. He warned her that he would be her enemy that next time they meet. Kasumi just shrugged and told him to worry more about himself.<p>

Kasumi took care of the fire as she waited for everyone else to fall asleep. She wrapped a blanket over herself and enjoyed that moment of peace where there wasn't any emotion in the air.

She heard Gojyo come out of the tent.

His emotions weren't as intense as Sanzo's so she didn't mind. He sat right beside her and lit his cigarette. She was a bit more used to the smell that the strange rolled up thing gave. It didn't sting as much anymore. "Can't sleep, Gojyo-nii?"

"Yeah, the stupid monkey took up all the space and he's making a racket with his snores." Gojyo scowled in annoyance. Kasumi giggled because Goku indeed was snoring away like there was no tomorrow. "I see. So what's on your mind that prevented you from falling asleep, Gojyo-nii?"

"Don't you already know?"

Kasumi sadly smiled. "I'm no mind reader, Gojyo-nii. I'm just really good at guessing other people's thoughts basing it on their emotions. And I prefer hearing the answers from the person instead of making assumptions.

"I guess…it makes me feel a bit more normal, you know?"

Guilt crashed over Kasumi like a tidal wave, as well as sadness, self-hatred, jealousy, and confusion. She jerked at the onslaught of emotions and toppled over. She landed onto Gojyo's lap. She squeaked as his arms wrapped around her and buried his face into her hair. "Sorry 'bout that, sweetheart. I'm just a bit stressed."

Kasumi poked his cheek. "Duh, your emotions are all messy!"

Her childish action brought a smile to his face and, to Kasumi's delight, took away that feeling of sadness. "Really now?"

"Uh huh! There are all these different feelings that you have scattered around you. If you don't clean them up soon, you'll be weighed down." Kasumi scrunched up her face. "You shouldn't hold it all in like that. It's not like it's weak to show how upset or sad you are at times."

"You wouldn't understand, sweetheart." Gojyo sighed.

"You underestimate me, Gojyo-nii. I've encountered a lot of guys like you and they're all the same! They all have some 'pride' of their own that they always hang onto! They misperceive it as 'strength'. It's a nice substitute, but it's a flawed wall with cracks." Kasumi told him wisely. "Your 'pride' is your emotional independence, right?"

Gojyo nodded, "Spot on, sweetheart."

Kasumi fell silent, contemplating on whether or not she should ask the question that was on her mind. Seeing her reluctance to speak, Gojyo encouraged her by patting her head. "Go on, say whatever's on your mind. It's fair that way, isn't it?"

"Did you have a nightmare about her?"

Gojyo's figure froze for a bit before he forced a smile. "What are you talking about, sweetheart? Thought I was dreaming about another girl and got jealous?" He teased.

"Jien told me." Kasumi simply said. "After saving my life on the day we crossed paths, Jien told me everything. About his sins, his guilt, and about his 'special person' he had to protect from his own mother. At first, I thought the person was some girl that he liked but that was you, wasn't it?"

"…Yeah."

Kasumi looked down at her hands. "I guess I can understand a bit of your pain. Not because of this curse, but because I went through a lot of similar situations like that. It's the life of the hanyou-ne? It was painful wasn't it? To be hated."

"I wanted her to love me." Gojyo said.

"Really? That's a good thing to want. When I was in a situation like that, I wanted to die more than anything in the world." Kasumi said a bit distantly. "Not anymore, of course." She assured Gojyo when she felt his concern and alarm.

"So you know my story, what's yours?" He asked after letting out a breath of smoke. Kasumi bit her lip as she reached into her memories. "I heard my father, who was a fox youkai, died before my birth. My mother died partially because she brought me into the world and also because she didn't want to live any longer without my father. I was entrusted to my human Aunt.

"Naturally, she hated me. I was a burden and a 'half-breed'. She took pleasure in starving me and turning me into her drunkard of a husband's punching bag when he came back home. Her children followed his example and beat me up daily. It wasn't their fault, though. They didn't know any better.

"It seemed that the whole world despised me for carrying my father's blood. I looked different, I healed faster than a normal person would, and I was stronger.

"They feared me for being who I was."

Gojyo chuckled. "What a messed up family you had."

"I know, right? But they gave me that chance to survive for the roof over my head so I'm thankful." Kasumi told him. She felt no malice toward her family. They don't exist in her life anymore. "Hanyou were usually thrown out or abandoned by their human parent so they could die during infancy. Sometimes, they are hunted down as a sport. They don't do that as much anymore, thankfully."

Kasumi took a handful of Gojyo's hair lightly. "You're lucky. If you came to Japan, you'd be accepted by the society simply because you don't have an animal-like appearance nor a superhuman strength. Your red hair would be considered 'lucky' more than anything else."

"What?" Gojyo asked incredulously, "This color as _lucky_? It's the color of blood."

"Blood? Is blood the only thing that has a red color? It dries into an ugly brown color too, you know. And blood doesn't dry unless it's shed. There are many other different, more beautiful things that have the color red. There are apples, cherries, strawberries, the color when the sun begins to rise or set, the color of the string that binds soul mates together, and many other things too. But most importantly, it's the color of life."

"Life?" Gojyo asked.

"Isn't it the blood that flows through your body that color as you said? It's the blood that our ancestors passed along so they can live with us." Kasumi leaned into Gojyo's embrace. "Every time I see the red color, I hear a strong voice telling me to live. I heard that voice the day the person who I considered both a master and a father died."

She took one of the hands that was wrapped around her and gave it a squeeze.

"So…don't hate yourself for being who you are, 'kay Gojyo-nii? And if you want to cry, bawl your eyes out as much as you want when you're with me. I promise that I won't tell anyone."

Gojyo's self-hatred slowly dissipated.

"Really now? Not even to my own brother?" He asked with a smile in his voice. Kasumi shook her head. "What gave you that idea? Jien wouldn't hear a peep out of me even if he begs 'cause Gojyo-nii's feelings are more important to me."

Gojyo seemed to be a little happier when she said that.

"I thought you had a thing for my brother." He admitted. Kasumi snorted. "Where are all these ideas coming from? Jien is my savior but he's more of a friend. Besides, even if I had a 'thing' for him it wouldn't be requited." Kasumi's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I think he's in love with Kougaiji the way he talks about him!"

She was joking, of course.

Gojyo laughed a little at her joke. The feeling of jealousy was wiped away like dust on a counter. Kasumi had no idea what he was jealous about but she was glad that the emotion was gone.

By this time, the fire went out. Gojyo noticed this and made a move to relight it. Kasumi stopped him. "Wait, look up."

Stars

Millions of them

Kasumi was enraptured by the emotions of awe and amazement that flowed from Gojyo, though the confused emotion was still there. "Gojyo-nii, what's confusing you so much?"

"Just thinking over the things you told me and trying to get over the fact that I was just chastised by a pretty woman. Hey, you tell me your 'pride' so I can pick on you too."

Kasumi answered without hesitation. "My 'pride' is being a hanyou."

"Now wait a minute, I thought-

"I know what I said." Kasumi said hastily. "I hate being a hanyou yet I'm proud of it too. I'm proud that I'm born in the same race as my hanyou brothers and sisters who bravely fought and died in the war just for the sake of the same people who despised and scorned them. I'm proud of being the result of a youkai and human's love for each other even though that used to be something unheard of."

"I'm proud of being the impossible."

Gojyo had nothing to say to that.

"Well," he finally said, "that's one hell of a pride you got there."

Kasumi closed her eyes. "Thank you."

Gojyo's confusion was gone. Kasumi was glad that Gojyo cleared up whatever plagued his mind. And in this way, she felt a little closer to the kappa. She snuggled up against him drifted asleep. "Night, Gojyo-nii."

She never really heard his reply.

* * *

><p>"<em>Kasumi, what do you want?"<em>

Young Kasumi stared at her Master's body with dull eyes. He always asked her that question and she never really had an answer to it. Now, she wouldn't have the chance to tell him anymore. Ever. Her master's sword, Dokugakuji, was lying on the ground. It was stained with blood. Whether or not it was the blood of his foe or his own, she would never know.

She picked it up.

She refused to cry because it was considered weak. She won't cry until the end.

Kasumi placed the sword's blade at her neck. She'll finish it. She didn't even have that will to live anyways. Master Kazuma was the only reason why she kept breathing. Now that he was gone…

"…_**I guess you're living too, huh?"**_

Kasumi paused. What was that? She looked around but no one was there. Who just said that?

"_**If you get hungry, then eat. If you're hurting, get wild. If you're in pain, then scream."**_

Kasumi dropped the blade and dropped onto her knees. Tears escaped from her eyes and it came to the point when they fell like the rain. She sobbed, she screamed, and she mourned for her Master.

"_**That's what it means to live."**_

When she recovered, Kasumi picked the sword up again but this time to put it back into its sheath. She wasn't going to spill her own blood this soon. Not when she knew the answer to her master's question.

"I want to live."

* * *

><p>Well, I can say that I tried with this one.<p>

I hope you all liked this chapter as much as the others! I had to reread Saiyuki Gaiden to get into the mood and I'm all sad now. God, Kenren's death was so EPIC and COOL! I bawled my eyes out on that scene. How does he do it? If you didn't read Saiyuki Gaiden then ignore my rantings or, better yet, read the manga. It's beautiful and touching.

I'll be working on the next chappie now.

REVIEW! PLEASE!

(It'll make me happy!)


	6. Lotus Blossom

Hi guys! I'm alive! Sorry for not updating any sooner! School's been getting busy and finals are coming up soon. I hope you all understand. I'll do my best to update as fast as I can while trying to get good grades. (Multi-tasking is SO hard!)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Saiyuki. I just own my original scenes, characters, and story idea.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 5: Lotus Blossom

A teen Aoi sighed contently while looking at Japan's sunset. She looked up at the person whose lap she was sitting on. "Hey now, aren't I a bit too heavy? Your lap should be a bit numb by now.

The young man ran his hand through her hair lazily. "Nah, I don't mind. You hardly weigh anything anyways. You're just a kid."

"I'm fourteen summers old!"

The person raised his eyebrows. "My point exactly."

Aoi pouted. "But you're only four years older than me! That doesn't make you a full fledged adult either!"

"Actually, it does."

"Meanie!" Aoi stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms childishly. "Just you wait! I'll become a woman before you know it! Then, I'll find some cute guy in my village to marry and become the best demonslayer in the island! No, the WORLD!"

"Oh no, poor guy."

Aoi punched his shoulder harshly. "Stop that! I'm serious about this!"

"Okay, okay, fine. When you grow older, I'm sure that you'll become a beautiful woman." The young man said sarcastically. Then, in a much more serious tone, he added, "When that happens, promise that I'll be the one who decides whether or not that 'cute guy' is worthy for your hand or not."

"No." Aoi told him defiantly.

"Aoi-

"No way! I'll choose him by myself! I'll find a guy who likes me even though I have weird, blue hair and that strange peony flower on my chest." Aoi claimed loudly. The young man chuckled. "I bet you will. You're already beautiful, Aoi. Your hair and birthmark are too."

"No they're not." Aoi muttered dully. Her excitement was snuffed out, now that her strange traits were brought up.

"Yes they **are**." The young man insisted. "Blue. Do you know how beautiful that color is? It's the complete opposite of that disgusting red color that appears every single time a person hurts another. I love your hair color, Aoi."

"But my birthmark…"

"Did you know that the flower looks more like a lotus blossom than a peony?" He asked aloud. Aoi gave him a quizzical look. "What's a lo-tus?"

"It's a beautiful, pink flower that blooms in the mud and makes the world fragrant. It's my favorite flower. Maybe, one day I'll manage to get a hold of one and show it to you. They're pretty rare in these parts but I bet I'll get my hands on them in the trading market."

Aoi grinned. "I can't wait!"

The young man gently took her hand and placed it over her heart, the place where her strange birthmark was.

"It's fitting that your birthmark resembles them. You're just like the beautiful lotus blossoms that bloom in the mud. You make the dirtied world just a little more cleaner with your presence." The young man told her sincerely.

Aoi blushed at his unexpected complement. "Really?"

"Really, really."

_**But you forgot to mention that, in the end, they would wither and sink back down into the mud it was born from.**_

_**Just like us**_

* * *

><p>(About 9 years later)<p>

"What…the hell?"

Aoi's eye twitched uncontrollably as she took in the sight. She knew that her adorable, loveable, innocent, best friend would eventually mature and become a woman but she never expected that day to come this soon. She thought that they would spend a couple more years together as single friends before Kasumi found some kind guy who could take care of her and love her, as she deserved to be loved.

But no…

Kasumi was sleeping deeply in Gojyo's arms. She was sleeping there with no care in the world. She probably had no idea what was going on. She was innocent like that. That red haired hanyou probably took advantage of her.

That. Perverted. Bastard.

The rest of the Sanzo-ikkou, Suzume and Yuki included, watched silently. Hakkai saw the dark aura around the blue haired girl and shook his head. "Miss Aoi, please be easy on him."

Aoi wordlessly took out a metal club out of nowhere with a dangerous glint in her eye.

Hakkai sighed. "I'll take that as a 'no'." He stood up and made his way to where the supplies were. Now where was that first aid kit?

* * *

><p>"I'm hungry!"<p>

Ah, that all too familiar cry for food. Aoi was beginning to get used to hearing it. Though it was a bit different this time. Because Hakuryuu needed a break in being their ride, the group had to walk. Aoi didn't mind that much, though. She was used to traveling like this. Japan didn't have any self-moving carriages. She whistled a small, catchy tune and walked on. Beating up that perverted kappa really did take away all the stress. Aoi made note that the next time she got this stressed she'd do it again.

Gojyo (still alive) limped a little, having been through the beating of his life. He shivered. He'd make sure to not to repeat that incident again. He was _this_ close to death (Of course, those bastards didn't help. They just sat back and laughed their ass off) and if it wasn't for Kasumi stepping in and defending him, he'd be a bloody pulp.

As if hearing his thoughts, Kasumi turned to him and gave him a wide smile. The fox ears on her head perked up like a puppy would when it's praised she's even wagging her tail – wait, she has a tail too?

"Cool! Kasumi, you have a tail! Can I touch it?" Goku asked excitedly. Kasumi nodded. "Okay, but don't pull, Goku. My tail is a bit sensitive."

Suzume smiled a little at the sight and stopped for a moment to watch. Her feet were getting a little tired so pausing for even a moment was a relief to her. Sanzo noticed this and stopped too. "Who told you two that you could stop?"

Gojyo rolled his eyes. "No need to get all pissy. We're just taking a little break."

Yuki took off her sandal and chucked it at Gojyo's face. It landed spot onto its target with a loud slap. "Get your ass moving or I'll **kick** it all the way to the next town, you damned kappa."

Sanzo patted her on the head and gave her an apple. Yuki took it with a wide grin. "Next time, hit him harder."

"Kouryuu!" Suzume shot him a look. "Stop encouraging her violence!"

"Oh great, a mini-Sanzo-in-training." Gojyo moaned while peeling the sandal off of his face. "_Just_ what I needed."

Goku clapped. "Bull's eye, Yuki! That was great!"

"Yeah, it was a perfect throw, wasn't it?" Yuki agreed while smirking. She retrieved her sandal and put it back on. "Want me to teach you so you can do it too?"

"Really?" Goku asked her hopefully. Yuki nodded. "Uh huh, and we'll use kappa here as a target because moving things are harder to hit than just trees!"

"LIKE HELL YOU RUNTS ARE!"

"That sounds great!" Goku cheered, completely ignoring Gojyo.

Aoi came in between them while laughing. "Okay now, kids. No need to bully him when you know that he's down. I already beat his ass this morning so bug off."

Yuki made a mocking gasp. "Aoi? You're defending him? Don't tell me you've fallen for his 'charms'!"

Gojyo smirked. "Never knew you had a thing for me there, girlie."

Aoi whacked the purple-eyed girl over the head and glared daggers at the hanyou in a way that made him gulp. "Shut up! I just want to keep walking! This is the first time since I got dumped here to walk in nature by foot! And don't call me girlie!"

Kasumi grinned. "You're beginning to accept Gojyo, Aoi! I'm glad that you two are beginning to become friends! I don't really like it when the two people I like don't like each other so I'm happy that you're trying!"

Hakkai patted her shoulder encouragingly. "You are beginning to achieve the impossible: Resisting the urge to kill him. I commend you for your hard work, Miss Aoi."

Aoi blushed fiercely at the contact and jumped away. "Y-Yeah…but don't get too comfortable, hanyou!" She said, turning to Gojyo. "I'll still kill you if you take advantage of Kasumi's innocence again!"

"I never doubted that for a second." Gojyo muttered.

Suzume had a distant look on her eyes again. She swayed a little so Sanzo had to steady her a little. "Oi, what's wrong?"

"Something…something's wrong. Youkai are coming this way." She muttered.

"So? That's normal." Goku stated from where he was standing. Just after he said that, the forest became deathly still and quiet.

Hakuryuu, from his perch on Hakkai's shoulder, began to get a little nervous. He began to make alarmed squawking noises. Kasumi placed her hands over the poor dragon's eyes. "Shhh, it's okay. I know it's scary but nothing's going to hurt you while we're around, 'kay?"

Yuki scowled. "Oh goodie. Looks like the Old Hag screwed up big time. Aoi, you have your armor on under your clothes, right?"

"Yeah, I dressed into them this morning."

Gojyo and the others shared a quizzical look between each other. "What's the matter?"

Ignoring Gojyo's question, Yuki began snapping orders to the others. "Suzume, stay back with me and make sure the others won't become youkai-brunch by putting up a barrier. Aoi, take the left. Kasumi, take the right. You both just slaughter as much as you can. Kasumi, how many do you think are there?"

Kasumi sniffed the air.

"A lot more than usual. I think their plan is to go all out."

Yuki cursed.

"There is NO WAY that I'm going to be babysitted by a baby!" Sanzo snapped at the silver-haired girl. "And I don't need any _help_ from you women when fighting youkai."

"With these youkai, you will." Aoi told him while smirking. She pointed at the revolver. "That thing won't be able to do shit to what you're going to face. Besides, they're not after the sutra. They're after us."

Inhuman screams tore from the silence. Birds frantically flew from their perches and small animals jumped from the bushes and scurried past the group. The sky above the group turned into an unnatural purple color. "Here they come, guys!"

The Sanzo-ikkou froze in shock at the sight of the tangle of gruesome creatures tumbling out as if the sky itself was throwing them up. None of the creatures that spilled out resembled a human. It appeared as if the creatures were taken from a mad man's nightmare.

Goku covered his mouth with both of his hands. "Ugh, what are those things?"

Sanzo shot at the youkai but his bullets harmlessly bounced off the creatures. "What? It's not working?"

"Told ya that the gun of your won't do shit." Aoi reminded him oh so helpfully.

"Shut up."

Suzume drew back her arrow and aimed it at the sky before releasing it. A good amount of the creatures that spilled out were destroyed by her holy light but a handful of luck ones managed to dodge.

"Priestess!" They hissed. "A priestess is here!"

Kasumi jumped up and unsheathed her katana. Before the youkai at her side could react, more than half of them were sliced into pieces. "Pay attention to the enemy in front of you."

By this time, Suzume covered Goku's eyes.

Gojyo recoiled in disgust as a beetle youkai's head landed alarmingly close to his foot. "Now **that's** disgusting."

Yuki pulled out four paper umbrellas and handed them out. "For the youkai guts and blood." She told them gleefully. Disturbed by her good mood, Gojyo took a huge step away from her. Hakkai, not at all disturbed (for some strange and unknown reason), gave her a questioning look. "These creatures are youkai?"

"Yup, those things you see right now are creatures of our home. Unpleasant, aren't they? I guess they hitched a ride with us when the Old Hag teleported us here. We were fighting in a youkai-infested area so it shouldn't be surprising." Yuki said the last part to herself.

Aoi jumped up while wielding a wicked-looking scythe (I'll leave it to your imagination in how she managed to get that) and gave her vict-I mean, enemies an evil smile. "Oh, I'm going to _enjoy_ this!"

(Battle censored 'cause it was a bit too violent for kiddies like Goku)

Horrified cries sounded from Aoi's side, making Goku flinch in surprise. "Huh? What's happening?"

Suzume kept her hands over Goku's eyes. "You don't want to know, Goku. I'll tell you when they're finished."

"But-

"Listen to Suzume, you stupid monkey, or I won't get you lunch." Sanzo threatened in a hard voice. Suzume glanced at his way and noted to herself that the monk was shaking. Everyone (aside from Goku and Hakkai) was.

Yuki gave Suzume a pointed look. "You can't hide it from him forever. He's not a baby, you know. Actually, he's about my age."

"I know, but even for a little bit…I don't want him to see it."

"Gross! It smells disgusting!" Goku complained. For a moment, Gojyo thought that he saw Yuki's scowl softening.

WHACK!

"Ouch!" Goku complained. Yuki weighed her iron fan on her hand before giving him another well-aimed whack over the head. "Shut up, you're complaining annoys me."

"So violent." Goku whimpered.

Never mind, that really was his imagination. Gojyo shook his head, temporarily distracted from the creepy gore and youkai guts. "Definitely a mini-Sanzo-in-training."

"Hanyou!" A youkai screeched. "Dirty blood! Weak! Why do you help those who fear you? Have you forgotten that another half of you carry our blood?"

Kasumi slashed at the offending youkai. "Nope!"

"Then why…why aid that Demonslayer?" Another screeched. Kasumi cut that one down too. Her cheerful demenor faltered a little before she smiled sadly at the youkai. She smoothly cut it down. "'Cause she's my friend, you silly youkai. Why else?"

"Demonslayer?" Hakkai asked Yuki. "What's that?"

"Demonslayers, ninja-like warriors who kill youkai as a living. Aoi's one." Yuki explained. Gojyo paled. "So she kills those _things_ as a living? Why?"

"Someone has to do it. Besides, her siblings, parents, and ancestors were Demonslayers too so she really didn't have a choice. She literally could throw a dagger before she could say her first word. That's just how it is back at home." Yuki said offhandedly. "Kill or be killed. Live together or die alone."

"But…that's so sad." Goku stated. "Aoi has to face all those scary monsters alone."

"She's not alone." Yuki stated. "It's not like she's the only one in Japan who can kick some youkai butt. Monks, priests, priestesses, ninja, samurai, and even a hanyou or two help in defeating these things. If it was only Aoi, we'd all be dead by now."

As if to prove her point, Kasumi cut down a youkai that was going for Aoi's back when she was distracted.

"See? We care for each other."

Sanzo furrowed his brow in confusion. "Then why the hell aren't you helping with the fighting? You seem strong enough to me."

"And get this kimono dirtied? No thank you."

_That __**brat**__._ Both Sanzo and Gojyo thought simultaneously.

Yuki pulled out the apple Sanzo gave her before. "Besides, I didn't eat the apple yet. I'll join them after I finish eating this."

Another wave of youkai was spat out from the disgustingly purple sky.

A sneaky centipede youkai managed to get past Aoi and Kasumi. Don't ask me, that thing somehow did the impossible. By an ironic twist of fate, the youkai was pretty hungry and it saw the apple in Yuki's hand.

Okay now, you all think that the youkai would be stupid enough to go and eat that apple. No, youkai eat human souls and flesh. If they turned into fruit-loving creatures then there wouldn't be any problems between them and the humans (duh!) so that wasn't the case.

The youkai saw the apple and _then _Yuki holding the apple. Obviously, the youkai was unaware of the strength that Yuki had or it wouldn't be considering making her its lunch. It's tiny, insignificant brain processed that the short, unsuspecting girl = easy kill.

Easy kill=Food

Pretty smart for an average centipede youkai to make that sort of connection

So, following its stomach's desire, the youkai went for Yuki.

Goku managed to rip Suzume's hands away from his eyes just in time to see the centipede youkai going for Yuki. Without thinking ('cause if he thought for a moment, he would realize that she's pretty much strong enough to take care of herself) he pushed her out of the way and wrestled down the youkai.

Yuki stumbled and dropped her apple…

…only to catch it just before it hit the ground.

The whole world seemed to sigh in relief.

Yuki watched Goku struggle with the youkai for a second before shrugging and lifting the fruit up to her open mouth so she could finally take a bite out of it. She will help him out _after_ eating her apple.

And then, two things happened.

One, the centipede youkai bit Goku on the leg, causing him severe pain but it spat him out because he didn't taste good. (To the youkai, Goku's taste reminded it too much of a monkey)

And two, the flailing youkai's tail slapped the apple away from Yuki's hands. It sailed over to the nearest tree. The impact it made with the trunk caused it to shatter into multiple pieces.

During that horrifying moment, Yuki swore she heard Kanzeon cackling her ass off about her ill fortune.

Aoi, Kasumi, and Suzume froze from what they were doing. The youkai froze and stopped what they were doing too because they were too stupid to take advantage of the situation and they were also confused.

"My…apple."

"Dammit." Aoi cursed and Kasumi's ears were pulled back in fear. The pair automatically fled far, _far_ away from the clueless youkai horde.

Both Goku and the centipede youkai froze from their little wrestling and looked at her shaking form. She gritted her teeth and balled up her fists before facing the two. "Who…did that?" She asked with barely contained anger.

Goku immediately pointed at the centipede youkai. "He did it."

For once, Goku was smart but maybe it was due to the fact that he valued his life.

"**You.**" If enough venom is put into a single word, it becomes deadly. The youkai heard this and realized how much in trouble it was in.

Seeing the look on her face (which was pretty much the universal 'I'll make sure you suffer dearly for that' and 'you're going to wish you were in hell' expression), the youkai scrambled away from the girl and began to escape.

Taking advantage to the situation, Aoi called out. "I would give you another apple, Yuki, but…the youkai horde ate them all."

What? She was feeling a little evil today.

Kasumi wrinkled her nose in confusion. "But Aoi, I thought you were the one who-

"Hush."

Yuki wasn't in her right mind at the moment so she forgot that youkai weren't fruit-loving creatures. She didn't care. Her apple needed to be avenged.

Yuki cracked her knuckles.

The other youkai sensed the danger in the situation and began to flee.

To their utmost shock and horror (and to Kasumi and Aoi's amusement) Yuki quickly caught up to one at the end and tore it apart like ripping paper. Gross, but effective.

"Don't try escaping or I'll be pissed."

The youkai tried anyways.

As Yuki chased the youkai horde, Suzume shook her head. "I would usually take pity on them, but I have to clean up this mess that they made."

"Hey! Who wants berries? There's some in the back bushes!" Kasumi called out happily while walking with an armload of blood red berries.

"Oh! Oh! I do!" Goku crowed while jumping to her side.

The rest just stared.

"How can he eat after seeing all of that?" Gojyo wondered aloud, looking a little sick. He tried not to look at the decapitated head of a snake youkai.

"He didn't, remember?" Hakkai reminded him.

Sanzo wouldn't admit it, but he felt just as sick as Gojyo looked.

"Don't worry. You all will get used to it…eventually." Aoi tried to comfort them.

"GET BACK HERE AND PAY WITH YOUR LIVES FOR MY APPLE!" They heard Yuki scream from a good distance. Gojyo shivered. "_Damn_, she's scary."

"Seriously, does she _really_ expect them to go back to her?" Aoi wondered aloud.

* * *

><p>Aoi hummed a sweet little tune to herself as she inspected the youkai corpses. "Lucky day, lucky day, lucky day for me~"<p>

"Girlie, what the _hell_ are you doing with those things?" Gojyo asked her. He was obviously disgusted. The corpses were already beginning to smell and their lifeless eyes stared at him in a creepy way. "Will you get rid of them already?"

Aoi let out a dramatic gasp. "Get rid of them?" She looked at him as if _he_ were the mad man. "That would be such a waste! There are so many uses for these youkai specimens! We can sell their skin as armor, 'em, hang 'em up as bait, or many other things! Besides, I'm trying to look for an antidote!"

"Antidote?" Hakkai asked, appearing out of nowhere. Aoi jumped in surprise but immediately recovered. "Yeah, for Goku. He got bit, didn't he? All youkai, even the weak ones, have at least a little venom in their bite. If he grew up in Japan, he wouldn't be affected with that small amount of venom, but he didn't. He and all of you are like newborn babes."

Goku blanched. "So you're saying that I'm-

"Yup, you're poisoned. Take a look at your leg wound but don't touch it or scratch it. That would only spread the venom."

Goku checked and paled a little bit. His wound was lined with a strange, purple color. "Gross!"

Gojyo took a look. "And that's _weak_ poison?"

"Feel lucky that this one is especially slow." Aoi told the two while prying open a centipede youkai's pincers. She took out a tiny glass vial and placed it under the edge while small drops of venom dripped from it. Hakkai watched with curious eyes.

Noticing this, Aoi handed him the vial. "Don't break it." She warned him. "Just look. Compared to your everyday poisons, just that amount would be enough to kill you if it ever enters into your bloodstream. That's an equivalent of a thousand bites."

"Scary." Hakkai commented cheerfully. Aoi broke into a similar smile. "It is, isn't it?"

Kasumi stared at the two for a moment before shaking her head. Gojyo noticed this action. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Just thinking about Hakkai's aura. I didn't notice it before, but it feels a lot like Aoi's." Kasumi noted. "It's like a comforting stream of tears."

"Stream of tears?" Gojyo repeated before breaking into small chuckles. "Never thought you were one to be so poetic."

Kasumi blinked in confusion. "But I wasn't trying to be."

"Then that just means you're a natural."

Aoi chattered excitedly to Hakkai about the different types of poisons and their antidotes. Genuinely interested in the information she was providing, he listened to her with rapt attention. He watched carefully as she mixed the venom sample with a type of herb, which turned it into a brownish paste. She dabbed little bits of the paste onto Goku's leg.

"Okay Goku. I want you to keep that leg wrapped and up. Don't move around too much-" Aoi advised him seriously before smirking. "-The medics would usually say. I'm no genius in this type of area but I know a strong soldier when I see one. You'll probably recover quickly. Just don't scratch it."

Goku nodded. "Thanks! You didn't have to do all of that, though."

"Meh, it's better than going through the trouble of cutting your leg off. It's faster, but there's too much blood." Aoi waved off his thanks. Goku shivered at the thought of having his leg cut off but stopped when his sharp eyes caught sight of something. "Hey Aoi, what's that pretty pink thing on your chest?"

"Hmm? Oh, this." Aoi looked down at her birthmark. She had changed back into her loose, civilian clothing so about half of her birthmark was visible to sharp eyes if she bent the right angle. Bindings can cover so much.

Kasumi's eyes brightened. "You mean her birthmark, right? It's really pretty!"

"Can I see it?"

"Sure, kid." Aoi pulled down her collar so Goku could have a better look.

Goku admired it. "It's so pretty but some of it's covered up!" Goku added in disappointment. Aoi smirked at him. "Oh? Never thought you were so interested with the woman's body, Goku." She teased.

"N-No! That's not it!" Goku began stuttering nervously.

Gojyo and Hakkai went over to take a better look while Sanzo stayed behind. He wasn't interested in those things. Instead, he lit a cigarette and began to smoke. Suzume wasn't there because she needed to 'purify' the other youkai corpses that Aoi didn't need. Yuki was still out there doing kami knows what to the poor youkai.

"You sure that's a birthmark?" Gojyo asked while critically examining it. "It looks more like a tattoo to me. It's so detailed."

"I get that a lot. That's why I prefer not showing this out to the world. People…fear when they see things that they don't understand. I've been told many times that this thing is a curse."

Hakkai smiled kindly at her. "Well I think it looks beautiful, Miss Aoi."

"Thanks for the complement, Hakkai." Aoi thanked, not really believing him. Hakkai noticed this and frowned a little.

Goku touched the birthmark (he's oblivious to the unspoken rule of asking before touching) and it began to emit a dim glow. "Whoa! That's so cool! Does it normally do that?"

Aoi's nose wrinkled in confusion. "No…actually, it never reacted like that when my parents touched it. It didn't react like that when Kasumi touched it, either." She scratched her head and shrugged. "I guess you're special."

When Goku took his finger off of the flower mark, it stopped glowing.

Aoi patted his head. "See? Proof that you're special."

"AOI! I GOT SOME MORE CENITEPEDE YOUKAI SKIN FOR YOU!" The group heard Yuki holler.

Aoi clapped in delight, having a Kasumi moment.

"AND DON'T YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW YOU ATE ALL THE APPLES, YOU LIAR!" Yuki decided to add.

Aoi stopped clapping and sweatdropped at the purple-eyed girl's delayed reaction. "Um…okay."

"It can be worse." Suzume told her, freaking her out because she seriously popped out of nowhere.

* * *

><p>Aoi hummed to herself as she smeared glops of liquefied centipede exoskeleton onto the blade of Gojyo's <em>shakujo<em> while humming a happy little tune. She used a wooden spoon to smear the substance on because of it being too hot to touch. She waited for the thin layer to dry before smearing another layer.

"Um…Miss Aoi? What are you doing with Gojyo's weapon?" Hakkai asked. Everyone else was asleep. They all agreed that this eventful day deserved a good rest and took no time in falling asleep. For once, Goku and Gojyo didn't argue about sharing the same tent.

"I'm making it strong enough to cut an average youkai, in our standards. No need to be all useless if the youkai attacks again. I have a feeling that there will be more in the future." Aoi told him while dropping all of Sanzo's bullets into the liquid glop. "Don't worry, the purple color will clear once it dries."

"That's very kind of you."

Aoi shrugged and tossed Goku's _Nyoi-bo_ Staff. "Nah, it's nothing. It's just covering the weapons with liquefied youkai shells. I'm also going to make pills for you four, just in case if someone gets poisoned again. It'll also help if you four take small doses of youkai venom. In that way, you'll become immune to the weak ones."

Hakkai made an impressed sound. "You're pretty knowledgeable in these things."

"That's what happens when you live your whole life on the same island with these things." Aoi told him honestly. "That, and I had to spend a couple of years under one of the most foul-mouthed, gambling, no-good poison teacher."

"Oh? That sounds fun." Hakkai commented cheerfully while taking a seat beside Aoi. She made a face while fishing Sanzo's bullets out to dry. "No, it wasn't. She hardly _tried_ teaching me! She would sometimes run away and leave absurdly huge debts for me to pay! Then, she goes and dies on me during the war." Aoi said the last part in a lower voice.

There was a short moment of silence before Hakkai heard Aoi snort. "Well, good riddance! She was nothing but trouble anyways."

"You two must've been close." Hakkai stated in an understanding way. A tick mark appeared on Aoi's cheek. "Oi. You're treading on dangerous water here, buddy. That old lady was never close to me! Don't act as if you understand me!"

Hakkai put his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry."

Aoi quickly forgave him. "Meh, it's fine. I overreacted. You're right. I guess that old hag must've meant _something_ to me and she had her moments. It's just that…I hardly knew a thing about my teacher. I never got close enough to truly get to know her."

"Really? Why not?"

Aoi paused for a moment before answering. "I was mourning the loss of the person I loved and was still a bit wounded by a betrayal by the person I trusted the most."

"I'm sorry about that."

Something in the tone of his voice told her that he wasn't a stranger to this type of situation. Aoi didn't pick on it though. It was his business but she'll listen id he ever opens up voluntarily.

"Don't be. It's not like you were the cause of all my troubles." Aoi told him. "Don't apologize unless it's really necessary or it'll loose its meaning."

Hakkai nodded. "I'll remember that."

There was a pause before Hakkai spoke again. "Miss Aoi, I truly did mean it when I said that your birthmark looked beautiful. I hope that I didn't suggest anything different than that."

"No, it's just hard to believe."

Hakkai leaned against a nearby trunk. "Your birthmark reminds me of a flower that I have a great fondness of."

_"It's a beautiful, pink flower that blooms in the mud and makes the world fragrant."_

"Let me guess...a Lotus Blossom?"

To Aoi's surprise, Hakkai shook his head. "No, it's more like a peony. I once heard a tale that a healer was granted eternal life by the gods by being turned into a flower. I feel that it's comforting that you bear the flower that somewhat symbolizes 'eternal life'." Hakkai smiled at her. "That assures me that you're not going to die an early death, thank goodness."

Aoi smiled a little at that after a small phase of shock.

That was the first time in a while since someone thought her birthmark looked like a Peony.

Who else thought that again?

Oh yes, she remembered now.

Her parents.

"...Thank you."

Hakkai shook his head. "That was merely my opinion."

There was a comforting silence between them before Hakuryuu, who (I think) woke up from some nightmare, squacked suddenly and surprised Aoi into accidentally burning herself by splattering the youkai juice onto her shirt.

"Ack!"

Hakkai hurried over to her side and quickly removed her top despite of her protests and covered her with a nearby towel. His eyes never wandered anywhere where they weren't supposed to so Aoi wasn't too upset. He quickly led her to a nearby stream so she could cool her burns and wash the juice off of her skin before it dried.

"It's fine. Just a little burn." Aoi assured him.

"Do you want me to check that for you?"

"No thanks. I heal quickly."

"I'm sure that you do but the burns would be irritating you if I don't treat it soon. We have to spend the rest of the next day riding in the jeep. You also probably burned a good part of your upper body judging by your clothing. It's practically in rags now."

It was true. The top that Hakkai quickly took off of her was beyond recognition. And he also had a really good point. If this were any other person, Aoi would be accusing him of being a pervert but this was Hakkai. She knew he was concerned about her health, not her body.

Aoi nodded and lowered her towel. Her bindings were burned off too, leaving her bare. She would normally be embarrassed that a man is looking at her half naked, but her upper body hurt too much to care.

Besides, Hakkai was a healer. It wasn't as if he never saw a woman's body before. I could've been worse.

Hakkai's hands began to glow as he skimmed them over her burns. To her surprise, her wounds immediately healed. The pain slowly dulled and eventually faded. He didn't even touch her skin!

Aoi gaped at her now completely healed chest.

"What was that just now?" She asked in awe while rewrapping her towel around her. "That was amazing!"

Hakkai chuckled. "It's nice to see that I know something that you don't know for once. What I just used was chi manipulation. It's pretty useful in attacks and defenses too. It's a bit similar to Miss Suzume's…what was it called again?"

"I just call it spiritual powers. I know there's some overly complicated name for it somewhere but I forgot." Aoi told him. "But that's amazing! I'm pretty sure that your ability would at least protect you from the youkai. If I knew about this sooner, I would've let you fight alongside us."

Hakkai smiled and accepted the complement. "Gojyo wouldn't like that if he heard you say that."

Aoi smirked. "I think the perverted kappa can survive. He somehow managed to live this morning, didn't he? I swear that guy's almost like a cockroach."

"No matter how many times you try squashing him, he seems to come back to life every single time." Hakkai agreed.

"He's perverted and irresponsible."

"Agreed."

"He's annoying."

"Ditto."

Both grinned at each other.

Aoi casually slung her arm around Hakkai's shoulders.

"Hakkai, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

* * *

><p>Gojyo suddenly jerked awake and shivered.<p>

"Why is it that I'm having such an ominous feeling?" He asked himself.

* * *

><p>And done! Thanks for your patience. This was the most I can do on top of the homework load.<p>

I hope you liked it! I feel that Hakkai is going to be the hardest to write in this whole story so I hope he isn't too OOC.

REVIEW PLEASE!


	7. Father Dear, Mother Mine

Hey Y'all! I'm back from intense finals and sudden educational camps! Sorry for the long wait!

I tried my best in updating as fast as I could but I was separated from my beloved laptop for about three weeks ( ) But I'm back!

I hope you enjoy my latest chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Saiyuki or its amazing characters! I only own this story idea, Suzume, Yuki, Aoi, Kasumi, and any other minor character who does not belong in the manga! Thanks for understanding!

Now READ! READ 'till your hearts are content!

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 6: Father Dear, Mother Mine

"Kanzeon-sama! The portal isn't closing!" Jiroushin told the goddess of mercy in a panicked tone. "If it doesn't close, who knows what more of the island's creatures would pour into China! That would destroy the world's equilibrium even more!"

Kanzeon chewed on her thumbnail furiously as she tried again and again to close the damned thing but it was no use. It was as if something jammed it open. Kanzeon sighed and finally gave up. "It's no use. _Something_ down there is preventing me from doing anything. That island isn't my territory anyways so I can't go down there and check."

"Couldn't we ask a favor from one of the deities there?"

"After what happened 500 years ago? I think not." Kanzeon shot down Jiroushin's suggestion almost immediately.

Jiroushin bit his lip. "Then what are we to do?"

"Just wait and see what happens. We have no choice." Kanzeon told him grimly. "We'll have to trust little Yuki and her friends on this one."

"…Kanzeon-sama? Why do you look so grim?"

Kanzeon's eyes wandered over to the lotus pond. "You poor girls…fate isn't going to give you four a break, is she?" She murmured to herself. "And even after all the shit she put all of you through in your past lives."

* * *

><p>"I'm so hungry!"<p>

A pause

WHACK

"…Ouch, that really hurts, Yuki."

Today, the seating arrangement changed a little in the stuffy jeep. Instead of Aoi sitting in the back, Yuki was moved back there so Aoi could spend the driving time explaining to Sanzo _why_ she dumped his bullets inside her black cauldron of youkai glop.

Gojyo groaned in despair. "Can't Aoi sit here instead of this brat?"

"You like Aoi better than Yuki?" Kasumi asked Gojyo in shock. "But she's so cute and adorable! She can even rip mountains apart with her bare hands! That's cool!"

Aoi gave her best friend a look. "Only _you_ would think that crazy albino is cute, Kasumi. Besides, _anyone_ would like me better than Yuki. She's scary, not to mention insane."

A sandal sailed from the back and slapped Aoi on the back of her head. She cursed under her breath before shooting a deadly glare at Yuki. "Keep your feet in your shoes, kid! And that **hurt**!"

"It was supposed to you blue haired freak."

"Freak? Why you-

Hakkai looked over at where Sanzo was sitting and sweatdropped a little when he saw the monk twitching in annoyance. Oh dear, it seemed that the Sanzo priest was almost at his limit. Hakkai placed a calming hand onto Aoi's shoulder. "She's just a child, Miss Aoi. I think that she's just upset that she was separated from her mother figure and letting it out on you."

Suzume would've replied if it weren't for the fact that she was sleeping. The night before, she had to spend much of her energy to purify the land from the youkai carcass. Sanzo didn't even bother waking her up and carried her to the jeep instead, much to Gojyo and Goku's amusement.

The Sanzo priest felt that he wasn't going to live this one down for a while.

"Untrue!" Yuki retorted.

"Huh," Aoi's look of rage dissipated considerably. "That makes a lot of sense. I guess she was just throwing a little hissy fit 'cause she misses her 'Mommy'."

"LIES!" She cried out, only to be ignored again.

Kasumi giggled and slung her arm around Yuki amiably. "Aw, 'c'mon Yuki, lighten up! They're just trying to tease you."

"Get your hands off of me, woman, or I'll **bite** it off!" Yuki threatened. Kasumi only chortled with laughter. She turned to the sleeping Suzume and her eyes softened slightly.

Back in the old days of war, Suzume never slept this soundly. None of them did honestly but Suzume was the most restless out of the bunch. Kasumi always felt a weary aura from the priestess, not that she blamed her.

She was a priestess. Youkai despised her and frequently attempted to murder her even before the war began.

It was nice to see that she felt safe.

Kasumi giggled and latched onto Gojyo's arm in a friendly manner. "Lets play poker to pass the time, Gojyo! Goku can join in too if he wants."

"Nah, he's a kid. He doesn't like poker. We can play by ourselves." Gojyo told her before Goku could say anything. Goku glared at the red head. "I _like_ playing poker, you lying kappa! You knew that! You just want Kasumi to yourself, don't you? Well I want to play with her too! She's fun!"

"Shut up, ya stupid monkey. I'm trying to focus here." Gojyo muttered with shuffling the deck of cards.

Kasumi beamed at the pair. "You two remind me of a bunch of kids I know back home."

"Kids? How do I remind you of a bunch of _kids_? I understand the stupid monkey, but me?" Gojyo asked incredulously while dropping the pack of cards. Goku snickered at the comment before becoming curious. "Who do we remind you of, Kasumi?"

"A bunch of delightful brats back home." Aoi drawled from the front. "After the war, Kasumi found a whole bunch of orphaned or abandoned hanyou and decided to create a village for them. She raised and took care of the kids until they were ready to take on the world on their own. They're annoying as hell but they're good kids."

"Really?" Goku questioned excitedly. "You really take care of them, Kasumi?"

Kasumi shrugged. "We look after our own kind. What's so surprising about it? It's normal, isn't it? When you meet someone who's like you in this different world, you can't help but stay by their side and stick up to them. Those kids didn't have any parents to protect them so I decided to fill that role."

"Kasumi has a mother-like instinct, what can I say?" Aoi said with a smirk. "She'll make a great mother and wife in the future. I bet all my money on that."

Kasumi blushed and halfheartedly threw a pillow that she usually cuddled with when she took naps on the jeep at Aoi. "Don't say it that way! Those kids are little slave drivers who make me shop for them every day!"

"Well yeah, but that's your joy, isn't it? Getting little things for the kids that used to be impossible to obtain for them. If we push harder, I think we'll be able to convince to government to allow them to go to those schools and learn things when we get back."

Kasumi's lips turned upwards at the thought. "Maybe."

"Schools?" Goku asked curiously. Aoi nodded. "If those hanyou kids are able to get that chance to fit in with the society, they might live a better life. They might not get hated anymore…"

"That's wishful thinking, Aoi. But that's a pretty thought." Kasumi muttered while picking up the scattered cards. Goku looked surprised at the pessimistic comment that came from the usually optimistic woman.

Sensing his confusion and concern, Kasumi slapped on a smile and handed Gojyo the cards. "So Goku, what else do you want to know?"

"How many of them are there?"

"Currently? I think there should be about forty-six of them, not counting the ones that left to find their own place in the world." Kasumi answered after a moment of thinking. "Five are already full grown and I think one or two of them met a nice human to settle down with."

"Really?" Goku asked. "Wow! You helped them a lot, Kasumi! Do you visit them?"

Kasumi shook her head.

"But why? Don't you miss them?"

"Yeah," Kasumi told him without hesitation, "but I have other kids to take care of. Besides, they visit _me_ sometimes so that's okay."

Hakkai looked at Kasumi through the rearview mirror. "It's impressive that you manage to take care of that many people on your own, Miss Kasumi. I'm sure that you're very concerned for them."

Kasumi nodded. "I hope they're doing fine on their own. Kanzeon-sama swept me away to China before I could tell the little buggers. But they're strong so I bet they can cope on their own for a little while until I come back."

"Did you have a parent?"

Kasumi looked at Goku in faint surprise. "Why the sudden question, Goku?"

Goku scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, I never had a mother or father. Just Sanzo. I'm just curious in what a parent is like. You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna!" Goku added hastily,

"…Mother died giving birth to me and Father died before I was born because he wanted to protect Mother from the villagers and youkai who wanted her dead. The only person I had in my life was Kazuma-sensei."

"Kazuma? Was he a special person to you like Sanzo is to me?" Goku asked.

"Yeah. You call people like Sanzo and Kazuma in your life 'surrogate fathers'. They're not your real blood parents but they're just as important."

Gojyo sent a mocking leer at Sanzo's direction. "Awww! I guess you're promoted to Daddy, Fake Monk!"

The all-too-familiar click came as a reply.

"So Kazuma was important to you." Goku stated.

Kasumi nodded. "He taught me how to read, write, use the sword, and lots of other stuff! He's a great man and I feel lucky that he decided to take me with him when he left the village I was born in."

"He was my light."

Goku's eyes glinted in understanding. "Like Sanzo!"

Sanzo pretended not to be interested in the current conversation and lit his cigarette. Hakkai sent him a knowing smile, which he ignored.

"What about you, Aoi? Do you have a family like that?" Goku asked Aoi. She grimaced a little but answered. "I used to live in a village _filled_ with Demonslayers. I had a mother, a father, a handful of younger siblings, and other family members. But," Aoi's fist clenched a little, "they were all killed during the war."

Aoi could remember the incident so clearly, as if it happened just a few minutes ago instead of years.

"Oh…" Goku looked down and felt terrible for asking the question in such an insensitive manner. Aoi rolled her eyes and bopped the boy on the head lightly. "Hey now, it's **fine**. They died honorably."

"How?"

An unknown emotion flashed across Aoi's eyes.

"They died defending the village from a youkai scum."

"Oh."

Aoi grinned. "Oh don't worry about it! I still have a great friend who's like a sister to me back at home! She's amazing! SHe was the one who made all of my weapons!"

"Really? That's so cool!"

What a boring conversation.

Yuki closed her eyes and yawned. It wasn't as if she heard her companions' sob stories before. It wasn't as if she was a heartless creature or anything, though that theory is pretty believable, even to her. It's just that she experienced and seen worse things in her lifetime.

Yuki silently recalled the days of war with her companions. They spilled their own sad pasts to each other a week before they ended the war _permanently_. Except for Yuki. She kept her story to herself.

It wasn't her place to tell.

"Hey Yuki! What about you? Do you have any family?" Goku's annoying voice grated against her eardrums, destroying the moment of peace that she was beginning to enjoy. Yuki glared at him. "Hn? What about them?"

"Did you have any?" Goku asked.

Yuki looked up and saw that all eyes were on her (minus Suzume and Hakkai). She resisted from shifting uncomfortably and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Yeah…I think."

"You _think_?" Goku wrinkled his nose in confusion.

She whacked him over the head with her iron fan. "Don't give me that look! I never really got to know mother dear and my old man." She crossed her arms and looked down at her sandaled feet. "The last time I was with them was a **long** time ago, okay?"

Despite her defensive scowl, Yuki felt a wave of unease wash over her.

When was the last time she saw her parents' faces?

"Mother…I think she had beautiful, night-sky hair. Her skin was really pale, not the unhealthy kind. Unlike mine, it _glowed_. Her eyes…I think they were purple. Not like me, though! They glittered in a way that remind you of those...those amethysts that Suzume really likes." Yuki tried to describe her mother in full detail and desperately grabbed any inkling of what her mother looked like. She listed them off out loud because she feared that she would forget in the next moment.

"The last time she held me, she was really cold." Yuki stopped at this statement. What else? What else could she remember? The rest of the group, in the other hand, looked at each other with an air of solemnness. Goku scrunched up his face in guilt.

_Poor Yuki! And she's doing so much in not showing that she was sad about her mother's death!_

Meanwhile, Yuki was pondering over her fuzzy memories.

"Um, what about your dad, kid?" Gojyo asked, trying to change the subject. Yuki scowled. "Oh…_him_."

Gojyo, Goku, Hakkai, Aoi, and Kasumi all sweatdropped simultaneously at her murderous tone. Goku wondered if anyone else could ever put that much venom in such a simple word.

"That bastard. He's the most annoying person. He nags and pampers so much that it makes me sick. And the other _women_." Yuki shuddered, "They tried to gain little 'ol me's favor by showering me with overly-perfumed gifts. They flock around Father and think that he'd eventually get tired of mother. Ha! Good luck with that one! I might not remember his face clearly, but I know for sure that the idiot was head over heels for mother. He wouldn't take his eyes off of her for a _second_. Except if I was in the room, of course. He didn't want his _special_ little girl to get _lonely_."

"Boy, that sounds like a normal father to me. All of 'em do that. They treat you like their little, breakable princess and act as if all the male population is out to kidnap you or something like that." Aoi stated with a grin. Yuki shook her head. "He's weird. He acts all idiotic and harmless when he's actually not. He's scary when he's serious."

"That's normal." Aoi repeated. "Daddy was like that."

"Did your Daddy have blonde hair that shined to the point of blindness and a pretty face that could be mistaken as a girl's?"

"…"

Yuki smirked victoriously. "Thought not."

Gojyo smirked. "Hey, that sounds like-

Click.

"…"

"Say another word and you die."

Yuki scratched her head and ignored the possible violence that was about to break out in front of her. "But I had lots and lots of half sisters and brothers."

Everyone froze at that.

"H-Half?" Kasumi questioned tentatively.

Yuki nodded. "Uh-huh. Lots and lots of 'em from both sides."

"O-Oi, kid, are you saying that your parents were cheating on each other?" Gojyo squacked. Yuki shook her head. "Of course not! They loved each other very much!"

She paused a little bit to catch her breath.

Everyone sighed in relief. "So you're saying that your half brothers and sisters were born from your parent's past marriage. Did they die from some fever?" Aoi asked.

"What are you all talking about? Their spouses never died! I was Mother and Father's illegitimate child!" The silver-haired girl announced a little _too_ proudly, "That's why strange people took me away from them when I was younger. Father was burning up so bad when I left, too." Yuki added sadly.

_Wait, so her father was sick when she was separated from him?_ The whole group thought simultaneously.

Silence again dominated the car. The looks that her companions were giving her both confused and annoyed her. Yuki looked away and rubbed her eyes. "I'm tired." She said and then curled up into a Kasumi-like ball and fell asleep while the others allowed the new information sink in.

"So she never told you three about her parents?" Hakkai questioned lightly after making sure that the child was asleep. "Not even once?"

Aoi shook her head. "She would mention them sometimes but she never went into full detail about them."

"Huh, no wonder that brat's so violent. She hardly spent any time with her parents." Gojyo tried to joke but was jabbed roughly by Goku. He sent a glare at the kappa. "You shouldn't joke about that! Yuki was probably all alone for most of her life! She was probably very lonely..." He trailed off when he saw that his raised voice almost woke Yuki up.

When she stopped shifting, Goku let out a sigh in relief. He jumped uneasily when he felt a hand on his shoulder but relaxed when he realized that the hand belonged to Kasumi. She gave him a warm smile. "You truly understand and care about Yuki, don't you Goku?"

Goku nodded. "Uh huh! I'm really worried!"

"You have a very kind heart, Goku. I'm glad that our Yuki has a person like you who defends her so passionately." Kasumi praised, making Goku's cheeks flush with pride. "Can you protect her for us when we're not there, Goku?"

"I will! I promise!"

* * *

><p>Yuki remembered. When she slept, she never dreamed. No, that would take the horror out of her 'punishment'. She rebelled against heaven and the price for it was high.<p>

But she never regretted.

Never

* * *

><p>"<em>Haha-ue!"<em>

_Yuki's bare feet slapped against the stone floor as she ran to her mother. She giggled joyfully and wrapped her arms around her mother. Her mother, in turn, squeezed her affectionately before setting her down. "Yuki missed Haha-ue so much!"_

"_I missed you as well." Her mother's cold touch still lingered over the young goddess' skin. It was a comforting kind of coolness that calmed Yuki._

_There were so many differences between the two in that scene. A much more older Yuki watched her younger self critically. At that time, she was so oblivious to the difference in how they looked. Her mother was so…beautiful, graceful, and much more kind. Compared to that, Yuki was violent, rough, and boyish. To be compared to her mother was like comparing a pebble to a gem._

_Her mother lifted Yuki up and kissed both her cheeks. "My beautiful, beautiful daughter. You'll become a fine bride when you grow older. I'll make sure that the man you choose will be someone who you can be truly happy with."_

"_What about Haha-ue? Is she happy with Chichi-ue?"_

"_Yes. I'm very happy with your Chichi-ue. But he and I are not married."_

_Yuki looked at her mother in confusion. "Not…married?"_

"_No," her mother agreed, "I was arranged to be married to another man when I was born. My parents did not even ask if I wanted it to be like that. I fell in love with your Chichi-ue after I was married to my husband."_

_Yuki blinked as if to tell her mother to go on._

"_I care for my husband dearly but I cannot love him like he loves me. He already knows this, Yuki. He already knows that I created a child that was not his own and that saddens him and our children."_

"_Does Yuki have siblings?" Yuki questioned. Her mother nodded in response. "Many of them. Some have already found their own duties to fulfill as gods and goddesses. Most simply become deities of trees or plants."_

_Yuki wrinkled her nose. "But those jobs sound boring!"_

"_They are very important duties, Yuki."_

_Yuki disagreed but she nodded to make her mother happy. "Will I ever have a better duty when I become a goddess? One that isn't a tree or bush?"_

"_I'm sure that you will. You have an older half-sister who has the duty of being the deity of the flowers. She is very much like you."_

_Yuki grinned in excitement at the mention of a sister. "Really? Will I be able to meet her?"_

_Her mother gave her a sad smile. Back then, Yuki had no idea what that smile meant. But now, that smile made every other thing that happened after her mother's visit make a little more sense._

"_You will, Yuki. Sooner than you think."_

* * *

><p>"<em>My beautiful daughter! How were you while Daddy was gone~!"<em>

_A strong pair of arms suddenly picked up Yuki. She squealed in surprise and whacked the person on the head with her paper fan out of instinct. "Let Yuki go!"_

_A grunt of pain was heard and Yuki blinked in surprise when she realized that it was her father. "Oh…Chichi-ue." It was then when it dawned on her that she had just hit her father. "Chichi-ue! Yuki's so sorry that she hit him!"_

_Her father chuckled good-naturedly. "It's fine Yuki dear. Your Chichi-ue is very strong, remember?"_

_The Yuki of the present snorted at her old man's comment. That liar, his forehead was still bleeding._

_Yuki giggled. "Yes! Really, really, really strong!"_

_Pure affection shone through the blonde god and he rubbed his nose against hers, making her giggle. "That tickles!"_

"_Yuki, dear! I have something to tell you!" Her father said excitedly. "You do remember when I told you about the orphan deity from India who I took under my wing?"_

_Yuki nodded. "Yuki remembers. Chichi-ue saved him from the mean River God."_

"_Well, he agreed that he would become your brother!"_

_Yuki bit her lip in confusion. "How?"_

"_Your Chichi-ue became his Chichi-ue too. Remember what an orphan is, Yuki?"_

"_Someone who doesn't have a Chichi-ue and a Haha-ue." Yuki announced, proud that she remembered the definition of the hard word._

_Her father patted her head. "Good girl. So that means he has no Chichi-ue. That isn't very fair, is it?"_

"_No."_

"_So your Chichi-ue decided that he would become the poor child's Chichi-ue also. Is Yuki okay with that?" Her father asked her. Yuki nodded without hesitation. "That means I have a new brother! Will he be Haha-ue's son too?"_

"_No Yuki. He is going to be my own. To make your mother his mother also could make the bad people suspicious and find out about you."_

"_But that means that Yuki can't meet him!"_

"_I'm sorry Yuki dearest. That's just how it's supposed to be."_

_Yuki crossed her arms. "But I want to meet my new big brother!"_

"_You will, you will." He crooned. "And I'll give you so much more."_

_The young girl fixed her purple eyes up at her father's curiously. "What does Chichi-ue mean by that? More?"_

"_My cute, cute daughter. When you're old enough, I'll give you the whole skies as a gift so you can rule over it." He promised. Yuki pouted. "But Haha-ue promised that she would let Yuki marry whoever Yuki wants when she grows up! Yuki likes that better!"_

_Yuki heard her father wince at her comment. The present Yuki chastised herself for being so loose-tongued. That was a sore subject for both her mother and father. If only her mother wasn't married to the Deity of the Forests. If only her mother's parents considered mother's opinions a little more. If only…_

"_Chichi-ue? Did Yuki say something bad?"_

_Her father grinned broadly and bounced her cheerfully. "Never ever never! Yuki is a good girl. Yuki did nothing wrong. Yuki is innocent of everything."_

_Even back then those words seemed like some mantra or song. Her father would repeat those words to her many times. Present Yuki knew what message her father was truly trying to send to her as he sat the younger her down to read a story._

_**You did nothing wrong by existing. Just because your weak-willed parents sinned does not mean you are guilty. Yet, if the world ever knows of you, you will pay for our mistakes.**_

_**Forgive us**_

_**Yuki**_

* * *

><p>In some ways, her parents were fools to think that they could keep their affair a secret from the world. But Yuki was thankful that her parents were fools. They gave her happiness in her life, something she could look back to as she was forced to face the cruelty of the world after she was taken away.<p>

The 'others' took her away.

It was so sudden.

* * *

><p>"<em>CHICHI-UE! HAHA-UE!"<em>

_Yuki screamed and bawled as she was ripped away from her mother's cold arms. Her mother struggled to get her back but was restrained by many strangers. Her father was more successful in breaking out of his captor's holds. He fought his way toward her._

_Even present Yuki had to admit that he looked like a true warrior as he fought through the soldiers to reach to her mother and her. The fiery look of determination in his brown eyes was something that became imprinted into Yuki's mind. It was a source of power that she used._

_She bit her captor's hand and wiggled herself free. She ran toward her father and fast as she could while dodging the hands that tried to recapture her._

"_Chichi-ue!"_

"_Yuki!"_

_He was so close to reaching her._

_So close_

_Like, fingertips touching fingertips close_

_And then, a dark cloud intercepted them. It pinned her father down and pushed her back into her captor's arms. The dark cloud turned out to be a man with orange hair, bronze skin, and red eyes._

_He looked like some Fire Deity but something in her young mind told her that it wasn't the case. Her father ruled over those Fire Deities and they were strongly loyal to him._

_The way he and her father looked at each other sent shivers down her spine._

_That man was apparently not at all loyal to her father._

_In fact, he seemed to hate her father with all of his being._

"_Bastard." Her father hissed as he began to shine._

"_Traitor." The red-eyed man snarled as his skin began to burn from being in such close contact with her father's overheated skin._

_And in all the while, Yuki found herself being taken farther and farther away from both of her parents._

"_Chichi-ue…Haha-ue…"_

"_I'm sorry." Whispered the person holding her. "I'm very sorry that this has to happen to you, child."_

_The person who was holding her was a woman. She seemed very gentle and her eyes were blue, unlike the scary man from before._

_In a way, the kind voice calmed her a little but it didn't stop the tears from falling from her face. She cried for her mother. She cried for her mother. She cried for the paradise that seemed so far away._

_The Yuki of the present stared on stonily._

_No tears would be shed over this memory._

_It was just a memory._

* * *

><p>Jeep stopped by a marketplace to take a little break, turning back into Hakuryuu. Sanzo carried the still-sleeping Suzume out of the car, causing people to stare and whisper much to his annoyance.<p>

Kasumi was the only one who dared to hold Yuki. The little girl looked so innocent while sleeping but the group knew the consequences in waking her up.

"When do you think the brat will wake up?" Gojyo whispered loudly to Hakkai. "I'm literally on an edge here! What if she throws one of those violent hissy fits when she wakes up in the village? She'll destroy all of it!"

"Yes, that does seem like a problem." Hakkai, who was usually calm, expressed a little concern in their situation.

Aoi chuckled at the pair. "No worries." She told the two in her normal volume. She snickered when the two flinched at how loud she was. "Yuki is a pretty heavy sleeper. Don't you think that she would've woken up by now? We're in the middle of a marketplace for Kami's sake! Just don't shake her."

The blue-haired girl's words made the rest of the group relax a little.

Goku pulled on Sanzo's robes. "Hey Sanzo, can I please borrow your card? I promise that I'll give it back."

"No way I'm going to trust something that important to you, Baka-Saru!"

"But I really need it!"

"Can't you wait until dinner, Monkey?" Gojyo sighed. Goku glared at the red head. "No! I need it use it _now_!" Kasumi could feel the desperation rolling off of him. She gave him a questioning stare that the young boy didn't notice.

"I said _no_!"

"But-

"**No**."

Goku glared at the blonde and huffed. "Fine you jerk! And I even said please!" Before the monk could whack him over the head, Goku ran off into the market crowd and disappeared.

"What the heck is wrong with him?" Gojyo wondered aloud as Sanzo grumbled under his breath. He moodily marched into the inn and left the rest of the group standing outside awkwardly.

"So…" Kasumi said awkwardly.

"Do we go after the monkey or follow the fake monk?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, kappa."

"You two are such meanies!"

"I think that Goku will be fine on his own, Miss Kasumi."

"ARE YOU COMING OR NOT?"

"Coming!" All replied out of fear and rushed into the inn.

* * *

><p>A bright light blinded Yuki momentarily before she was able to see again. Sakura petals fell from the sky and only a single sakura tree was in sight. In a way, the tree caused her to feel a wave of nostalgia. It was so familiar yet cruel.<p>

"_Brat, stop coming into my office and bothering me!"_

Konzen never liked it when she visited, did he? He was always annoyed when she ran in with flower crowns woven into her hair. He claimed that she was 'bringing in the bugs and pollen'. His complaining would only stop when her Ane-ue came into the room. He would fall into a sort of silence that her Ane-ue thought was a wordless way of saying that he didn't want her in there because she annoyed him. Yuki knew better. Konzen would never admit it but he was genuinely shy of women, _especially_ of her Ane-ue because he liked her.

"_Konzen, why don't you come outside with Yuki and me to watch the flowers bloom? It's very beautiful to watch. I think you will like it."_

"_Yeah! Ane-ue helps them bloom prettily too, Konzen!"_

"_I'm busy."_

But there were nice things that he did to Yuki even when her Ane-ue wasn't around.

Like the time when he let her sit on his lap

Or the time when he let her place a flower crown onto his head

Or the time when he didn't rat her out for visiting Tenpou's library

"_Little Yuki, shouldn't you be sleeping? I know the contents of the book is exciting but a young lady needs to sleep to grow."_

At the end, Yuki did listen to Tenpou's advice. He was always a strange person but he was kind. Yuki sometimes visited his library to read the books from the lower world. Her tutor pretended to be annoyed when she caught her reading Tenpou's books but ended up encouraging this because it was the most effective way for Yuki to learn. Her tutor stayed with her as she read, not that Tenpou minded the intelligent woman's presence. Her tutor helped Yuki clean his room in return of borrowing a book.

"_I think you missed a spot there, Miss Tutor."_

"_Shut up, Weirdo Field Marshal! If you're so picky, clean this room yourself instead of making Lady Yuki and me do it!"_

Kenren helped Yuki too when she cleaned the bookworm's room.

"_You're pretty good at this, kid! Hey, what do you think about going out and getting some dango together after cleaning this mess, just you and me?"_

He was her favorite after Konzen. He would make life seem much more beautiful than it really was with only a few words. He snuck her out of her martial arts training so they could slack off together. Her instructor would find them eventually and give them both a scolding.

"_I can't believe you would be so foolish enough to take Yuki out shopping during her training! She needs to learn to defend herself!"_

"_Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"_

"_Wha-what? Stop trying to change the subject, you useless General!"_

"_Sensei, why is your face all red?"_

Those were the beautiful times. The times that Yuki thought that happiness could go on forever. She wanted it to be that way.

"_Nataku! Wait up! Is that any way to treat your fiancée? You should wait for me, you meanie!"_

"_Sorry Yuki! I just wanted to show you this pretty flower. It perfectly matches your pretty eyes."_

"_But I think Nataku's eyes are way prettier than mine!"_

"_You really think that?"_

"_Uh huh! Really!"_

She truly believed that…

"_Ouch!"_

"_Ow!"_

"_Hey, did you just fall from the sky?"_

"_Sorry! I was trying to reach for a book and lost balance! Are you all right?"_

…That…

"_My name is Yuki. Sorry for falling on you. I hope we can still be friends!"_

"_Friends? I like that! Let's be friends, Yuki! My name is…"_

…happiness couldn't break.

Yuki blinked and rubbed her eyes before they widened in shock. She saw the silhouettes of her precious people sitting at the trunk of the sakura tree. She ran toward them. To her horror, the silhouettes began to fade away, one by one. Yuki ran harder. The last of the silhouettes stretched out his hand and she reached out to grab it-

"_My name is…"_

"GOKU!" Yuki screeched as he began to disintegrate before her eyes.

* * *

><p>"YUKI! WAKE UP!"<p>

Yuki literally jumped up and awake before a painful feeling crashed into her head. Someone else yelped in pain. Yuki rubbed her forehead and looked down at the curled up Goku. "Crap. You okay, Goku? What in the world possessed you to wake me up?"

"You seemed to be having a nightmare." Goku replied, "So I tried waking you up."

"Oh…does it hurt that bad?"

"Nah. Just…give me a second."

Goku hefted himself up and rubbed his jaw that she obviously hit with her forehead. It was bruising quickly and the pain wasn't lessening judging by the pained look on the boy's expression. Yuki sighed. "Come over here."

"Huh?" Goku gave her an innocently quizzical look.

Yuki sighed and crawled over to him. She placed her hands over his cheek and muttered something under her breath. To Goku's surprise, a faint light that resembled the light from Suzume's bow glowed over his bruise and soothed the throbbing ache. "Wow! What did you just do, Yuki?"

"Something I learned from my mother." She told him curtly. "Now what do you want from me? You came into my room and disturbed my slumber for a reason, didn't you?" Goku scratched his neck nervously. "Well, I remembered the time when I asked you what food you liked and…"

He sheepishly held out an apple. "I could only get one 'cause Sanzo wouldn't let me use his card."

Yuki stared at the apple. "You…got it for me?"

"Uh huh."

Yuki blushed, scaring Goku because the normal Yuki would've whacked him over the head with her iron fan and yelled at him for not getting more. She took the apple from his hands and bit into it. She smiled. "Delicious. Thank you."

Was it normal that his stomach was feeling all funny after seeing her smile? He must be hungry. Yeah, that's it. He was hungry. "Heh, no problem."

Yuki finished up her apple and smiled at him again. "Let's go down and eat dinner."

Goku liked this side of Yuki.

"Well? Are you coming or not?"

Goku ran over to Yuki's side. Yes, he really liked this nice Yuki far better.

He should give her more apples.

* * *

><p>Yuki knew it was too good to be true. She thought that she could finally have a moment of peace with Goku. Just a <em>moment<em> where the two could share a friendly conversation without fighting for their lives or being interrupted.

Yup, that wish seemed too good to be true.

"YUKI-SAMA!"

When she reached downstairs with Goku, laughing over a joke that he said, something small crashed into her chest. She was pretty strong so the impact didn't really do anything to her but she still stumbled back in surprise. "What in the-?"

"Yuki-sama!" The thing sobbed, "I finally found you! Do you know how hard it was to find you? You made me so worried!"

Yuki peeled the thing off of her and glared at it, her good mood gone. "Komu? What the heck are you doing here? I thought I told you to watch over the house! Back in _Japan_!"

"B-B-But Yuki-sama!" The little crow youkai wailed. "I waited for a very long time!"

"Who cares! Shoo! Go back to Japan, useless bird!" Yuki cried while kicking the poor youkai out of the inn. "Come back and I'll really eat you this time!"

Goku blinked and pointed. "Yuki…what was that?"

Yuki pinched her nose. "An annoying pest."

"Oh…"

"Lets go outside. It's pretty impossible for Komu to fly all the way here so quickly. He must've been sent here through the portal rip. See? That old hag makes all the mistakes, thinking that I would be always there to clean it up."

Goku silently followed the angry girl out.

Yeah, so much for a normal dinner

* * *

><p>So it was like this when the two walked out:<p>

Kasumi was surrounded by her little pack of orphan hanyou

Aoi was hugging this random woman like she was her long-lost sister (maybe that was the case)

Komu was sobbing on the ground, being comforted by Hakuryuu

Hakkai and Gojyo were just staring at the sight 'cause they have absolutely no idea what the heck was happening

And Sanzo…

Well, you can guess what he was doing aside from _still _holding the now-awake Suzume.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE?"

No, that was Yuki who said that.

"SOMEONE GET THIS BRAT OFF MY LEG!" Now **that** was Sanzo.

But there was one voice that seemed louder than the two of them (I know, amazing right?). It was the voice that caused both Aoi and Kasumi to pale in horror.

"Aha! So _there_ you two are!"

"Oh my Kami…" Aoi breathed in horror. "Please tell me I'm hearing things that aren't really there."

"No Aoi, not only can I hear it…I can see it too."

The pair stared with dread at the figure that was marching toward them. Kasumi and Aoi began to run while dragging Gojyo. "Hey! Sweetheart, what's with the rush?"

"RUN!"

Hakkai saw the figure begin to run in a supernatural speed and sweatdropped. "Oh dear…"

"REPENT, YOU FOOLS!"

"HELL NO!" The two screamed back.

* * *

><p>And the chapter's done!<p>

I'm so proud of myself! I managed to type this baby up in two days! I hope that everyone else liked that I brought some minor characters back into the story. You'll see them more in the next chapter after the monk stops chasing poor Aoi and Kasumi.

Hmmm, should I make him torture Gojyo too since he's a hanyou?

Yay! More Gojyo bashing!

(No, I don't hate Gojyo. I actually like his character but he turned out to be painfully easy to bully. You know how characters can be, you eventually can't control them.)

So here's some translations if some people are confused:

Ane-ue: Big sister, Honorable older sister, etc.

Haha-ue: Honorable mother

Chichi-ue: Honorable father

Baka-Saru (shame on you if you don't know this!): Stupid Monkey

Thank you all for waiting so patiently! I appreciate it lots!

REVIEW!


	8. New Additions

Otaku-sama is back with another chapter! I'm so excited about this one 'cause I put a lot of effort on this!

So, without further ado,

The next chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the Saiyuki plot line or the main characters! I own Yuki, Kasumi, Aoi, Suzume, Tomu, The Hanyou Gang, and all the new characters that I'm going to introduce!

Some things that need to be cleared up before you read:

Yuhwa is pronounced: You-hWA

Bi-dam is pronounced: Bee-dAHm (AH as in Ah, I get it!)

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 7: New Additions

"So from oldest to youngest are Ikki, Juni, Temari, Sado, Sora and Kiku!" Kasumi introduced the hanyou children to Gojyo and Hakkai. "Guys, say hello!"

"A pleasure to meet you." Ikki, a fifteen-year-old turtle hanyou, greeted politely. Aside from his swamp-colored eyes, he looked the most normal out of the whole hanyou group. He then let out a slow yawn and rubbed his eyes. He lazily turned to Kasumi. "Can I sleep now?"

"Hey strangers!" Juni and Temari, who were both thirteen-year-old raccoon hanyou twins, chorused mischievously. They were identical twins, exact mirrors of each other. They both have raccoon ears sprouting from their black-haired heads and striped tails. Their faces held strange, diamond-like markings on their cheeks. Their blue eyes twinkled cheerfully at Hakkai and Gojyo.

"Yo." Sado, who was a mole hanyou of twelve, stated simply while facing the opposite direction. The twins turned him around so he could repeat his greetings face-to-face. His dirty blonde hair defied gravity, giving him a messy look, not that he didn't look messy already. His face was smudged with dirt and his clothes looked all torn up. He didn't seem to mind about his appearance and clothes at all. His eyes were squinted. The whole picture of this hanyou resembled a mad scientist.

Temari chirped. "Sorry but-

"-Sado is kinda blind!" Juni finished.

Kasumi's brow wrinkled with worry as she looked around. "Hey guys, where's Sora? I thought she was standing here a second ago! Where did she go?"

The whole group shrugged.

While Kasumi was interrogating the others about "Sora", Gojyo and Hakkai stood awkwardly in the sidelines. "A strange bunch, aren't they?" Gojyo commented while lighting a cigarette.

Hakkai laughed. "You would fit in perfectly!"

"Oi…" Gojyo was about to reply when a sound interrupted him, making him drop his cigarette.

"Hello!" A small voice chirped.

Gojyo looked around frantically. "Where-?"

A high-pitched giggle was heard. "Kiku is down here!"

Both Gojyo and Hakkai looked down to see a very short, gray haired girl. Her gray hair was short, reaching only to her chin. Her eyes were pools of dark purple, shades darker than the purple that both Sanzo and Yuki had. Bat-like wings sprouted from her back, contradicting her innocent appearance.

Kiku grinned at the two men while speaking shakily due to her inexperience in speaking the Chinese language. "Kiku wants to be friends! Kiku is…" Kiku looked at her three held up fingers and re-counted them before holding them up. "Four…Three? Um…" She counted again. This time, holding up four fingers she proudly proclaimed "Four!"

While Gojyo and Hakkai were falling for the little four-year-old's charms, Aoi was tying a certain monk up and hung him from a high tree branch. "Get me down here you sullied girl! How dare you tie up a holy monk?"

"Oh, I **dare**. I dare a lot of things believe it or not."

"Aoi, do you want me to put a gag on the fat man?" An accented voice asked with a sadistic glee. Aoi giggled. "Nah, I'd rather hear him scream. It might attract the youkai. Hmm, I guess that makes him great bait!"

At the mention of youkai, the monk snapped his mouth shut.

Aoi turned to her friend and smiled sincerely. "I thought I wouldn't be seeing you in a while, Yuhwa. How did you get here anyways?"

Kim Yuhwa wasn't one to believe in gods, goddesses, or whatnot but that was only because she only believed in what she saw and touched with her own hands. When she was suddenly sucked away by an enchanted whirlwind, met a busty woman who called herself the goddess of mercy (ha!), and was transported into… the far west of China, was it? She was then totally convinced of the existence of the supernatural beings from above.

She was also convinced that the said supernatural beings were complete jerks.

"Can I gag the fat guy too?" A childish voice piped up innocently.

The monk caught sight of the child who spoke up and recoiled in disgust. "Don't let that hideous _thing_ touch me! It's filthy!"

"Hideous? Thing?" Both the monk and Aoi turned in surprise when they heard the rising shrill in Yuhwa's voice. "_It_? You **dare** call him-

"Mom." The child coaxed, placing a calming hand on Yuhwa's shoulder. "It's fine. I'm okay with it so you shouldn't be so ruffled up about it. Besides, you still didn't answer my question. Can I gag him?"

Yuhwa looked down and smiled at her son. It was a relief that she was able to grab him before they were swept away. They could've been easily separated. "Of course you can, Bi-dam! Make sure you _shove it down his throat_. The annoying sounds that he's making are causing your dear mother's head to hurt."

The child nodded and walked up to Aoi while holding up a dirty rag. "Miss? May I-?"

Aoi nodded while not once letting her eyes off of his face. "…Bi-dam?"

"Yes?" Bi-dam obediently turned to face her as he was stuffing the dirty cloth down the monk's throat at the same time. The monk's face turned an interesting shade of red.

Aoi chose her words carefully. "You…grew since I last saw you. You look different."

"Grew? Look different? Well, that's expected from not seeing me for four years. I was only a baby then." Bi-dam said understandingly. He patted his cheeks. "I lost all my baby fat too!"

Aoi laughed. "Yes, that must be why you looked so skinny and tall. You're about…seven summers old?"

"Eight." He corrected her.

"Man, I'm losing my touch! Did a year pass by without me noticing already? I feel so old." Aoi joked.

Bi-dam shook his head. "My birthday came three days ago. You're not losing your touch at all. And you are most _definitely_ not getting old. My mother is older than you and she's still very young."

Aoi looked the boy over again. There was no doubt about it. That boy was a hanyou. But the thing was…the last time she saw the kid, he had **black** hair and he was sleeping on his mother's back.

That kid had **red** hair and **red** eyes.

The traits of a _Chinese_ hanyou

"Hey…Yuhwa. Just who was this kid's father again? I don't think I caught it the last time you told me." Aoi turned to her friend with a serious look. Yuhwa stiffened and faced Aoi. "I never told you his name, Aoi."

"The last time you introduced him to me, he had black hair. You dyed it, didn't you? And you purposefully introduced him to me while he was sleeping, right? So I wouldn't know? Did you really think that I would hunt down and kill your only son? I only hunt Japanese youkai for kami's sake! And hanyou aren't included in that category!"

"I know." Yuhwa sighed and turned to her son, who was listening intently to the conversation. "Bi-dam, can you do a favor for me and go introduce yourself to the other hanyou children? I'm sure that you and them will get along beautifully."

"Of course, Mom."

When he was far enough, Yuhwa turned back to Aoi.

"Aoi…I didn't tell you this but this child's father wasn't well-liked back in Korea. He was a youkai and they feared him because of that. If they knew that Bi-dam was his child who knows what they would've done to him? But…his father isn't like the others who invaded your island. Truly. I knew him since we were very young, you see. Both of us were play mates. He was gentle, kind, forgiving." A small smile graced Yuhwa's lips as she said this. Aoi's eyes softened. "Lucky bastard. He's got your heart, doesn't he? So it wasn't some fling?"

"No. He was the son of the man who had an affair with my mother. Remember that story? After that incident, we were separated for years. We met again one day coincidentally. We caught up with each other, told stories, and eventually…fell in love." Yuhwa gave Aoi a sheepish smile. "Like parent like children, I guess."

Aoi chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

"Aoi, do you think that loving a youkai is wrong?" Yuhwa asked suddenly, surprising Aoi. "You're a demonslayer so I'm curious if you think that way."

Aoi pondered a bit before answering. "If I was ten years younger I would say 'yes'. But now, I'm not as sure. It depends how you're asking it. 'Yes, it is wrong to love a youkai because it is a taboo' used to be something that younger me would've said."

"And now?"

Aoi smirked. "Nah, loving your youkai is okay. Loving him wasn't a mistake. Bi-dam over there isn't a mistake. To hell with anyone who thinks otherwise."

Yuhwa laughed at that statement.

There was a comfortable silence between the two before it was interrupted by a surprised yell.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Both Aoi and Yuhwa ran over to where the commotion was. Goku was staring at Bi-dam with a horror-stricken expression. Yuki whacked his head over with her fan. "Shut up, monkey! Stop overreacting over such a small thing!"

The crow youkai next to her nodded. "Yes! You made Yuki-sama very concerned!"

"Shut up, Tomu!" Yuki growled out.

Tomu tearfully obeyed.

"B-But Yuki," Goku complained while holding his head in pain. "That kid looks just like-

"I don't care who he looks like! You screamed as if there was a youkai horde about to attack! Do you know how worried-

Yuki stopped mid-sentence and cleared her throat. "-I mean, you woke me up from my nap!"

"What's going on here?"

The rest of the group rushed over to where Goku was. Some were worried while most were irritated and pissed (*cough* Sanzo *cough*).

"You stupid monkey! What were you thinking making so much noise! You made me move for no reason!" Sanzo yelled while hitting Goku over the head with his paper fan.

Suzume smiled amusedly. "It seems that Kouryuu was also worried."

Yuhwa swooped Bi-dam into her arms and clucked over him like the mother hen she was. "Are you okay? Nothing happened to you? You didn't fall or hurt yourself?"

"Mom, I'm fine. I just stumbled 'cause I was surprised. It's not every day when a person screams when they look at my face. Oh wait I forgot," Bi-dam fingered his hair, "People naturally scream when they see my kind around these parts, don't they?"

Yuhwa shook her head. "No dear, I think he was just surprised by your sudden appearance, **right**?" Goku flinched at the hard tone that was directed at him. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah! I mean, you just looked a lot like someone I know so it sort of freaked me out when I saw a mini version of him…heh."

Suzume seemed to flinch at that. Her eyes suddenly became all misty and clouded over.

"Mini version?" Yuhwa questioned quietly before shaking her head and looking back down at her son. "See? It has nothing to do with your pretty hair, Bi-dam."

Temari bounced over to Bi-dam. "Wow! Your hair is so-

"-red! It's really pretty! Can we touch it?" Juni finished while grinning.

Bi-dam nodded reluctantly. "Sure…just don't braid it."

"Aw shucks you-

"-saw through our evil scheme!"

Little Kiku waddled forward and tapped on Bi-dam's shoulder. He looked down and his eyes softened at the young girl. "Yes?"

"Can Kiku touch your hair?"

There was no hesitation in Bi-dam's nod. "Sure thing!"

Kiku touched Bi-dam's hair and pouted in disappointment. "Awww."

"What is it?"

"I thought it was going to be warm when I touched it. Like a campfire."

Bi-dam blinked in surprise at Kiku's way of describing his hair. He was suddenly tugged away by the twins, who weren't that happy about being ignored. "Lets go and-

"-play!"

While the rest of the hanyou children were pulling Bi-dam away, Suzume talked to Aoi about something in a rapid yet low tone. Aoi jerked back in shock. "Are you sure?"

"Have my visions ever failed to tell the truth?"

"I know, I know. It's just so hard to believe!"

Aoi went over to whisper something into Kasumi's ear. Her ear twitched once but besides that, she had no other reaction.

Kasumi left Aoi's side and walked up to Yuhwa and Bi-dam with a grin on her face. "Hi there!"

Yuhwa smiled back brightly. "Hello. You must be Kasumi, right? I heard so much about you from Aoi. It's nice to meet you." Yuhwa came up to Kasumi and surprised her by embracing her. "Thank you so much for taking care of Aoi during the war."

Kasumi blushed at the words of gratitude that she was suddenly getting from the stranger and began to stutter nervously. "A-Ah, about that…it was more like Aoi was looking after me, you know? I'm not exactly some savior or whatever you made me out to be. I just killed. So don't say 'thank you' so easily to me, 'kay?"

"Still. You are Aoi's precious friend. You saved her life multiple times and you helped chase away her nightmare." Yuhwa drew back and smiled at Kasumi again. "You deserve my thanks and more."

Warmth

That woman emanated warmth and kindness.

Ah…

How nice it feels to be embraced by a person who is 'normal'

To be accepted despite of the fact that the person knew the sins that she committed in the past was very refreshing.

"Miss Yuhwa…" Suzume said slowly. She was very reluctant to break up the emotional moment between the pair.

Yuhwa adamantly shook her head. "No! Call me Yuhwa, just Yuhwa."

"…Yuhwa, Aoi also told us much about you. Your personality, your strength, and your past are not something that we don't know. I…heard that your were separated from your lover about nine years ago." Suzume wasn't sure if Yuhwa was aware of her 'gift' so thought of it safe to not mention it in their conversation for now.

Yuhwa's eyes widened at the mention of her lover. "Do you know where he is?"

Yuki snorted rudely at the comment. "If we didn't, we wouldn't be bringing up this whole subject, would we?"

"Hush, Yuki." Suzume scolded.

"Yeah! Shut up! This guy is obviously important to Yuhwa!" Aoi snapped at the little girl.

Kasumi grinned at Yuhwa and picked up the conversation as if there weren't arguing people in front of her. "Not just that! He's alive. He thinks you are dead but he hasn't stopped loving you for a moment. I know your lover personally and, if you would like, I can take you to him." She looked down at Bi-dam. "He would be so happy that your son also survived and that he is a father!"

Awe

Shock

Disbelief

And then…

Overwhelming happiness

"And not just that." Aoi laughed at Yuhwa's gaping 'there's more?' expression, "Suzume also know where your long-lost baby brother is. Even_ I_ can't believe it! The resemblance was _right there_ and I couldn't see it the whole time!"

Yuhwa blinked blankly. "What are you-?

"What kind of trouble did you stir up this time you stupid monkey!"

Goku glared at Gojyo. "What do you mean by THAT?"

"Oh dear, it seems that the two are stirring up trouble again." Hakkai sighed before picking little Kiku up. He noticed Bi-dam and blinked in surprise. "You…"

Bi-dam stood up and walked over to Goku and Gojyo with a kind of awe written over his face. When he stopped about a few feet away from the arguing pair, Gojyo finally noticed that there was someone there.

"Oh, hey kid."

Bi-dam continued to stare. He let out a breathless laugh. "So** that's** why that guy screamed so loudly when he saw me."

"…Sha Gojyo?"

Gojyo looked up and saw a woman stumble up to her feet and look at him with the same expression that the little boy had. The usual smirk that he would have when he saw a beautiful woman didn't come to his face for some strange reason.

Maybe it was because that woman was obviously a mother

Or maybe it was because of the heartbreaking expression she had on her face

Or maybe it was because her face looked similar to the face that he saw every morning in the mirror

Or maybe…

"Oh…" Yuhwa stumbled. Gojyo, out of reflex, caught the woman. He found himself being fiercely embraced by the woman. "Gojyo? Can you really be that Gojyo? But you were so small! How could you have gotten so tall? And, and your cheek! Where did you get those nasty scars? Were you fed properly?"

"Err, lady? I'm sorry to say but you have the wrong guy. I've never met you before in my life." Gojyo said nervously.

"Nope. You're the right guy." All Yuki, Aoi, Kasumi, and even Yuki chorused at the same time. Aoi smiled at Suzume. "Thanks to Suzume, Yuhwa finally found her long-lost half brother. And we discovered who the mystery "daddy" is."

Suzume smiled demurely. "It was unintentional."

Gojyo stared at the priestess in shock. Then, he looked at both Yuhwa and Bi-dam with a sort of awe and disbelief, the same emotions that Yuhwa expressed.

"Ah, brighten up Kappa! You have a sister! And a nephew! You should be happy!"

"Besides," Kasumi piped up, "Don't you think Jien will be happy to hear that he's a father? Oh, I just can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him!"

* * *

><p>Dokugakuji paused for a second and shivered.<p>

Was someone talking about him just now?

"Hey Doku! Why did you suddenly stop?" Lirin asked curiously. She was on the youkai's shoulders and was confused by her friend's stiff posture. "Did something happen?"

Dokugakuji considered on replying before shaking his head. "No. It's probably nothing."

"Just tell me if anything's hurting or causing you discomfort, okay?" Yaone told him kindly. He nodded.

"Well keep moving then." Kougaiji said from ahead. "We need to catch up with the Sanzo-ikkou."

Dokugakuji remembered the four women who recently joined the group and paled at the thought of facing them. "Um…Kou? I have something to tell you."

"Is it important?"

"Oh, it's _important _all right."

* * *

><p>To others who knew him, he was Bi-dam, an eight-year-old boy who planned to become the most notable blacksmith in the Korean peninsula. He was an obedient child and displayed a vast amount of filial piety (Confucius would be proud). He was bullied by most of his male peers for his lack of "manliness" and was loved by every female he met simply because he was kind to them.<p>

If only it were true.

Bi-dam, in actuality, was a twenty-year-old man plus a century or two stuck in a little boy's body.

No, he _was_ Bi-dam, son of the blacksmith Yuhwa. He still is. He was no imposter of some sort and he definitely had no ill intentions. His mentality was simply a bit more…advanced for a child.

Bi-dam was normal until he turned three. By that age, he was suspiciously interested in reading about everything, a very peculiar trait for a to-be-blacksmith. He wanted to learn about everything and seemed to read the texts that he got his hands on with ease.

Science, Math, Literature, History, he wanted to learn it all. He gobbled up whatever was given to him by amused scholars and sometimes snuck up to the roof of the schools just to get just an inkling of what the old professors were teaching.

He quickly picked up different languages from the merchants who visited to sell their products. Fishermen were also very knowledgeable in that area. They were kind enough to teach him a few sentences in return of him helping out on their little boats.

He was able to learn how to speak Chinese within a month. Japanese came easily because of its similar structure and sounds. Hindi and Latin were much harder. It took him about three years to learn those languages and he is still yet to master their puzzling accents.

Yuhwa feared for a bit that her son would become a scholar instead of becoming a blacksmith like her grandfather and his grandfathers had. But, when he turned four, he left his books and took up the hammer.

He was not so good at the art of shaping iron at first, but he soon came to master it in a surprisingly fast pace.

He was scrawny for a boy. There was no doubt about it. Many joked that he resembled more like a girl instead of a boy. But, despite of appearances, Bi-dam was very strong. He created weapons that were considered exceptional for people who were his mother's age. People soon heard about the red haired boy who was a prodigy in creating weapons. Lords became interested in his progress and eagerly waited for the day when his talent was at its peak.

Yuhwa couldn't have been any more proud as she was of her son.

What Yuhwa didn't know was that Bi-dam had lived ten lives. The memories weren't with him when he was born. No, they just came gradually in random moments. The most simplest things could trigger a memory that Bi-dam _knew _wasn't his.

He was confused at first. Who in their right mind wouldn't be?

But he had read once about the idea of "incarnation". He was no Buddhist but he had many friends who were and they mentioned the idea many times. Most of the times, it would be brought up with a "may you live a better life in your next" or "I'll squish a thousand cockroaches knowing that one will be you" or whatnot.

Bi-dam considered the fact that he _remembered_ all his lives to be both a blessing and a curse.

A thief, a shepherd, a poet, a scholar, a physician, an assassin, a merchant, a slave, a courtesan, a hanyou/blacksmith

He experienced different things.

He had different or no parents.

He had many dreams that he either achieved or never reached.

He loved and hated people.

He lived ten lives.

This was his tenth.

So why…

Why is it that it was his tenth life that he had to remember it all?

Bi-dam walked through a field that was near the village. The flowers that decorated the green carpet beneath him were admittedly pretty but they weren't as pretty as the ones in India. He was a poet and an artist in that life.

He had decided to leave his mother and his…uncle alone. The emotional moment that they shared was something that "a child his age wouldn't understand". He understood, of course. He probably understood more than all who were there _combined_.

But, he was acting as the obedient son of a blacksmith so he obeyed when his mother requested him to "go and play while the grown-ups talk".

Funny to think that he used one of those "grown-ups" in multiple lifetimes.

Bi-dam snorted and fell back into the grassy cushion, disturbing many flowers and causing many petals to fly because of the impact.

And worst part…

_**The flowers seem to be blooming beautifully, don't you agree?**_

And the worst part was that voice in his head that belonged to that goddess who sent him and his mother to this foreign land.

Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Goddess of Mercy

Through the experiences in his past lives, he knew that he despised Gods, Goddesses, and other immortal beings that thought of the mortal race as their playthings.

He personally was a plaything of the Gods in a past life.

He never truly forgave them for what they did to him.

_**Hey boy, I asked you a question.**_

It started ever since he conversed with that girl Aoi. At first, he thought that the voice was something from a memory. Then, he concluded after a while that the voice was too annoying to be a memory or some figment of his imagination.

But then the voice suddenly went and introduced herself and convinced him of her existence.

It was then when the voice got _really_ annoying and bothersome.

_**Hey! I heard that!**_

Worse yet, she could hear every thought in his head, which was slightly irksome. He, like any other living being, required at least a _little bit_ of privacy.

**_Ha! Tough luck, boy!_**

Maybe if he ignored her, she would go away and torment some other poor person.

**_Sorry boy, but your mind is too interesting to leave. I think I'll stay here for a while._**

Gah! That's it! I want you OUT of my head! OUT!

He heard the Goddess snicker. _**Now, now, that's not very polite. This is a Goddess you are talking to, child.**_

I don't care! All you immortals are the same! Playing with us like marionettes before throwing us away the moment we break!

_**At least your poetic way of speaking hadn't changed since we last met.**_

We met? Bi-dam thought with a sudden curiosity. He shuffled through his memories but came up with nothing. Nada. Zip.

_You wouldn't remember. __**I was disguised as someone else anyways.**_

Bi-dam rolled his eyes. Of course, I forgot that Immortals tended to shift into any form that wasn't their own during their time of mischief. He thought bitterly.

_**Hey now, I was very nice to you when I met you! And you were much cuter back then too!**_

"Knowledge makes one unattractive to the eye". Bi-dam quoted. I think a friend of mine said that once.

_**You have pretty good memory for someone who lived nine lives.**_ The goddess stated dryly.

I treasure my friends and memories, unlike you Immortals. Bi-dam spat.

_**So untrue**_

Bi-dam thought he heard sadness and regret in her voice. But he squashed that thought the moment it entered his mind.

The prospect of those arrogant beings having any remorse seemed too impossible.

* * *

><p>Gyokumen Koushu was aghast and irritated at the news that a youkai relayed to her.<p>

"What?" She shrieked while striking the poor youkai. The messenger fell to his knees and cradled his throbbing cheek. Koushu meanwhile began to chew on her thumbnail. She turned her irate gaze at his curled up form. "Repeat what you just said!"

"Th-There seems to be f-four powerful females w-who joined the San-Sanzo-ikkou in their quest. Th-They somehow man-managed to wipe off more than-an half of the Southwestern tr-troops within _three_ days." The messenger stammered. He whimpered when Koushu kicked him away. "Useless! Useless all of you!"

She stormed to one of the guards stationed at a set of double doors that led out of the lab. "Where is Kougaiji? I need to see him this instant!"

"I'm sorry, my lady, but Master Kougaiji isn't here at the moment. You sent him to retrieve the sutra more than a week ago, remember?" A guard informed her only to receive a harsh slap on his face.

His partner winced at the treatment he was getting but made no move to aid him. It was understandable. Any youkai who wanted to keep his head wouldn't say a word against the crazy lady.

"_Yare, yare_, it seems that my lady is unhappy about her current situation. Is there anything that this man could do to help?"

How to describe this man? His appearance was like a straggler's yet his aura was of great importance. He was smiling as if he were amused yet his form and the way he walked screamed of boredom. His vision was obviously hindered due to the wrappings around his eyes, but he walked with such confidence. He spoke to Koushu respectfully yet it sounded so cheeky to the ear. He seemed so open yet none knew a thing about what's going on in that man's mind.

That man, to sum it up, was a walking contradiction.

He was far more dangerous than Lady Koushu for sure.

Koushu smiled in relief at the appearance of the man. "Dr. Ni!" She turned to the two guards. "Get out of my sight! I wish to be alone with him!" She snapped. They were more than willing to comply with her wishes and were gone within three blinks.

The youkai concubine of the Ox King Gyumaoh fell into the arms of her Bioengineer. She relaxed as he stroked her hair.

"Don't worry about the girls, my lady." Dr. Ni Jianyi otherwise known as the Ukoku Sanzo said soothingly to his lover. He smiled in a twisted manner. If he were wearing glasses they would have glinted sinisterly. "I'll take care of them."

She tensed. "Get rid of them!"

Ni Jianyi smiled and crooned. "Patience, my lady."

_**Patience**_

* * *

><p>Love, an emotion that sent many strong minds over the moon and turning them into mush. It was originally created for the purpose of keeping life (intelligent life if we're being picky) from going extinct. Luckily, because he was a hanyou, Bi-dam didn't need to worry about those things. Humans and Youkai were officially declared as different species so hanyou were practically sterile as a mule. They could never reproduce so that crossed out the whole purpose of falling in love.<p>

It was a hindrance.

It was a limiter to both humans and youkai.

Bi-dam was determined to never fall in love in this life.

_**Oh ho! You're just begging for an Immortal to prove you wrong, aren't you?**_

You again? I'm not begging for anything.

_**You claim that yet you boldly state that you'd never fall in love when I'm in your mind.**_

Hmm? So? What if I did?

_**Boy, do you know who I am?**_

Bi-dam pretended to ponder over her question. An annoying voice? An irritating immortal? A so-called Goddess of Mercy when you're technically a sadistic hermaphrodite?

_**Oi**_**,** he could hear the irritation in her voice, _**you're playing with fire, boy.**_

Sorry.

_**To answer your question, I am Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Goddess of**_** Love **_**and Mercy.**_

Bi-dam cursed under his breath. He forgot about that little bit of the Goddess' title.

_**Would you care for a friendly bet?**_

Suspicion immediately rose in Bi-dam. Immortals were usually fond of making bets with mortals during their times of boredom. They twisted the bet or did something funny to the winning prize if they lost.

No doubt that Goddess would do the same.

There's no way that he'd- What's the bet? Damn his curiosity.

Amusement rolled off the reply. _**Lets see if your claim would be true, boy. If you win, I'll leave your mind once and for all. I'll give you the peace and privacy you wanted.**_

And if you win?

_**I'll stay in your head until the end of this journey. And**_**,** she spoke this part with a more serious tone, _**you would have to relay a message from me to the Sanzo-ikkou. It's very important that they would know.**_

The message part could be done without the bet. Bi-dam assured the Goddess.

_**How kind of you. Never mind then, I'll be giving the Sanzo-ikkou a visit personally then. Be grateful that I'm wasting the energy to do it myself, boy.**_

Bi-dam was thankful. That would save the energy to act like an overreacting child who just discovered that he had a 'strange lady's' voice in his head.

So…when does the bet start?

There was no reply. Bi-dam mentally shrugged. The Goddess must've gotten bored and abandoned the whole bet. That was a bit disappointing. He was looking forward to a little challenge. Just when Bi-dam stood up to make his way back to the village, something crashed into his back.

"OMF!"

Bi-dam's face was suddenly _very_ familiar with the ground. He also had a good amount of dirt up his nose and in his mouth.

Bi-dam spat out the dirt and spluttered for air when the weight scrambled off his back. When he recovered, the first thing he heard was feminine laughter. He felt himself being helped up. "I'm so sorry! It's jus that-

Another peal of laughter

"I must look like a fool, then." Bi-dam said dryly, abandoning his good-boy act.

"No! No! It's just the amount of dirt that went up your nose! I never knew that it was even possible!" The girl giggled. Bi-dam felt some sort of cloth beginning to wipe away the dirt that was over his face and eyes. "I'm sorry that I crashed into you. Really. I was chasing a butterfly and wasn't looking where I was going."

"It must've been a really pretty butterfly."

The girl immediately agreed. "It was! I wanted to catch it so I could show it to my little sister. It was orange with black stripes and little white dots."

"That's a _Danaus plexippus_." Bi-dam stated in surprise. "But their kind only thrive in India, what is it doing here?"

"A what?"

"A butterfly that feeds on a plant called _milkweed_. It could also be known as the Monarch Butterfly." Bi-dam explained eagerly. "Birds rarely eat their kind because their bright orange colors are like poison signs to them."

The girl seemed to be nodding. "I see. Then it's such a pity that I didn't catch it."

"Yeah. It would've been great to see." Bi-dam agreed. He opened his eyes and blinked experimentally, making sure there weren't any more dirt stuck to his eyelashes.

A dirtied handkerchief came into his view and dabbed the area below his right eye. "Ah, thanks."

"No problem!"

Now with the dirt all gone from his face, Bi-dam finally had his first glance at the mystery butterfly girl (random nickname he came up with) who fell on him. Bi-dam's eyes widened with recognition. That girl…

She looked a lot like that Kiku girl who played with his hair.

There were some differences, of course. Not every person looked exactly the same. Bi-dam was also able to pick out the differences between the so-called 'identical' twins. The girl, for one, was obviously older and her hair fell to her hips. The wings that sprouted from her back were also far bigger and looked strong enough to carry her body, unlike Kiku's whose wings were as small as his fist.

Her kimono was black.

She smelled a little like rained-on grass.

She was smiling.

She-

Wait.

Wasn't he being a little too descriptive here?

"You look a lot like Kiku." Bi-dam said aloud.

The girl smiled excitedly. "You know Kiku? That means you must be the group that we're traveling with!"

"No, I was transported here like you were with my mom."

"Really? I came here with my little sister Kiku and the rest of the hanyou gang while searching for Kasumi."

So she was Kiku's older sister. That made sense.

"Ah, that means you're a hanyou." Bi-dam blurted out stupidly. He knew this beforehand but he had nothing else to say at the moment because his brain felt a little muddled. Probably from the impact and the dirt. The girl stiffened and began to take a defensive stance. "Yeah, I am. So? What about it?"

"That's cool. I'm a hanyou too." Bi-dam quickly amended. That girl must've never seen a Chinese hanyou before or heard of one. His theory turned out to be true based on the look of pleasant surprise on her face. "Really?"

"Yeah. The Chinese hanyou (that's me) are a bit different from the hanyou from Japan. That's where you're from, right?" The girl nodded. "Well, we have red eyes and red hair that shows our 'mixed blood'."

"That's it?" The girl gasped. "Boy, you guys are lucky!"

"Well, I think you Japanese hanyou are much luckier. You get to have all these cool abilities while I just get red hair and red eyes."

"That's not true! You're definitely much better off! You can always dye your hair and hide your eyes, right? If you only do that, you can be as normal as the next person!" The girl retorted.

Bi-dam nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's true. But I hate hiding. Mom tried to do that with me and that ended up being a bust. For one thing, I can't hide what I am. Besides, I'm not ashamed for being who I am. I'm just…me. If people can't accept that then, screw them. I don't give a damn."

The girl giggled.

"Hmm? What's so funny?"

"You swore."

"So? You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Mom is so going to kill me if she ever heard me swear in front of a girl.

"I won't. Besides, I bet your mother won't be _that_ angry." The girl giggled. Bi-dam shook his head. "Nah, I'm more than sure that Mom would- wait, I didn't say that part out loud."

Genuine confusion filled the girl's features. "You didn't? But I swear-

"Think about something. Anything." Bi-dam demanded suddenly.

_I'm not sure about what's going on but I'm a little scared._

"Don't be." Bi-dam assured her. "I think only thoughts that are conveyed purposefully to the other person could only be heard. What am I thinking now?"

The girl's face scrunched up in concentration. "I…I can't hear it."

What about now?

"Eek! Don't do that!" The girl jumped in surprise and Bi-dam snickered. "Sorry. I'll try not to do that so often."

_No, I'll try getting used to it._

Really? That's relieving to hear. I wouldn't want to make you upset by accidentally sending you some mental message.

_Hey! You're not going to really do that, are you? Gosh, this feels familiar. First the weird voice and now you. Who next? _

Bi-dam's amused laughter was cut short. What weird voice?

_I think it was a woman's voice. She was the one who told me to go and chase the butterfly._

And you listened?

…_I was really bored, okay? And tired!_

Bi-dam snorted. He should've known. So he wasn't the only one she was tormenting. He felt a wave of pity for the girl. Well, welcome aboard. The woman is the Goddess who sent us here. She's a real pain-in-the-neck and she can read all of your thoughts.

_Waa! Really? That's terrible!_

I know, right? Bi-dam grinned. But I think we'll be all right. We're going to suffer together, not alone. Besides, we can talk to each other in a special way!

The girl grinned back. _Yeah…what's your name anyways? I forgot to ask._

It's Bi-dam.

_Strange name._

Oi, that's because I'm a Korean! That's a normal name back at home!

_Okay, okay, fine. Bi-dam. My name is Sora. Let's be friends from now on, okay?_

Sure thing, Sora.

* * *

><p>"Ha! That brat fell for it hook, line, and sinker!" Kanzeon gloated from her chair. She snickered as the boy offered his hand to help the girl up. "Awww, look at that! They're already friendly!"<p>

Jiroushin shook his head at her immaturity. "Aren't you supposed to do something? Like warning a certain bunch of heroes about the upcoming dangers?"

"Meh that can wait."

"Kanzeon-sama this is serious!"

"Okay, okay, fine! Jeez! I'm going to miss the good part! Jiroushin, watch them for me and tell me what I missed, 'kay?"

"Yes, yes, now go and warn them!"

With a swish of her hand, the Goddess was gone with a flurry of sakura petals floating down settling on the spot where she once stood.

* * *

><p>Gah! I'm finished! (Stretches) So, how was it? How did ya like the new characters?<p>

All were inspirations caused by random anime and Korean dramas that I ended up watching. They were all totally unexpected. I think I'll be using them for future important things (wink).

So what to do next?

(Turns to readers)

Give me a pairing that you all would want to read? I haven't done that many fluffs lately. So, what do you say? Suggestions anyone? Say so and I'll write a whole chapter for that pairing after the next one!

I'm interested in all your thoughts about the new characters so don't be afraid to REVIEW!

REVIEW! (Oops. I said that already, didn't I?)


	9. Fears

Another update for y'all!

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 8: Fears

Kougaiji couldn't have been any more shocked in his life.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm telling you Kou, it actually happened! I was there and I know one of those girls personally." Dokugakuji said for about the tenth time. It was understandable. Kou was a pretty strong-minded leader but there were times when something _really_ unexpected happens and he is completely thrown off-balance.

Like the fact that a little girl literally tore a piece of land apart as a warning

Lirin had a different reaction than her older half-brother. "Ooh! Ooh! I'd like to fight that little girl! I wanna go see her! Can we Kou? Can we? Please? Please?"

"No."

"Awww! But Kou!"

Yaone stepped in and saved Kougaiji the trouble of shutting up his kid sister. He loved her but there were times when he wanted to strangle her to death because of the trouble that she brings him. "Lirin, you should be patient and let Lord Kougaiji think for a little. If you behave, I'll buy you a pork bun."

"Yay! Pork bun!" Lirin celebrated. Kou resisted from slapping his forehead. His little sister was so simple-minded. It scared him that her weakness could be made known so easily.

Kou rubbed his face, looking more tired than he's ever been. Dokugakuji felt a little guilty for bringing up the subject when he was in such a good mood but he had to say it sooner or later.

"Kou? Are you okay?"

"It's…just…how are we supposed to get the sutra now? Those women sound powerful and almost impossible to defeat." The son of the Ox King sighed almost brokenly.

"Really? I don't think that you should worry too much about that." He tried to assure him. "Kasumi is a really nice girl and she herself said that she liked your character. She also loves little kids like Lirin. I'm sure she'd convince her friends not to be involved during our future skirmishes with the Sanzo-ikkou…too much."

"What I'm shocked about is that Droopy-eyes is married! Can Monks marry, Kou?"

Kou sighed. "Apparently yes."

"Is she pretty?" Lirin asked.

"How am I supposed to know?"

Lirin ignored her brother's irritated expression and chattered on. "I bet she is! She must be really pretty if Droopy-eyes have any interest in her! I wonder what she's like? Is she nice? Or is she really cranky? Or maybe-"

"Enough!" Kougaiji roared. "If you want to find out so much, go and ask her yourself!"

"Good idea!"

Before Kou could even take back his outburst, his sister disappeared. Dokugakuji and Yaone looked worriedly at their twitching Lord. "Um…Kou?"

"That girl…is going to be the death of me, isn't she?"

"Don't worry, Kou. As I said, Kasumi loves kids so she won't do anything to Lirin."

* * *

><p>Kasumi sneezed.<p>

She wrinkled her nose. Why would she be sneezing all of the sudden? Was she beginning to catch a cold? That wouldn't be good. Kasumi decided to drink a warm cup of tea this dinner so it wouldn't become anything serious.

"Bless you." Kanzeon said. Kasumi sniffed and smiled. "Thank you."

One second…

Three seconds…

Ten seconds…

"Ohmykamiyou'rethatscaryGoddess!" Kasumi shrieked and fell off of the chair that she was sitting on. The rest of the group's attention fell on her and then to the amused Goddess who was currently laughing her ass off at Kasumi's late reaction.

Kanzeon wiped away a tear. "You hanyou are so hilarious! I think you just fulfilled a century's worth of boredom there!"

"What the hell do you want from us now, old hag?" Yuki drawled. "Are you going to dump another poor soul into this merry crew? Oh wait! You already did that to **eight people**. And one is a useless monk who hardly practices what he preaches and spews shit whenever he opens that goddamned mouth!"

"Yuki, Language." Suzume warned firmly.

"What? I know you were thinking the same thing! You're just too nice to say it!"

Well, Suzume couldn't argue with that. The monk** was** unbearably annoying.

"As much as I enjoy talking with the brat, I'm pretty tight on schedule. I'm going to have to make this short. The gate that I used to transport the four of you was jammed by something in the other side. The youkai that flowed into this place was an accident-"

"I_ knew_ she screwed up!" Yuki whispered loudly to the Hanyou children.

"-_That I can take care of_." Kanzeon stressed. "But there seems to be something else that your enemies added onto alongside the barrier to keep you four from succeeding in your task thus, the new recruits."

Aoi leaned against her scythe (wherever she got that weapon is a mystery as well as all the other random weapons she pulled out of nowhere). "So what's the new danger?"

"Are you familiar with a man named Dr. Ni?"

"Nope!" Goku piped.

"Never heard of him." Gojyo drawled.

"Don't care." Sanzo grunted.

"I don't think I remember." Hakkai admitted sheepishly.

Kanzeon rolled her eyes. "Really, do all men have such short memory spans? I would've thought you four would remember him."

Suzume seemed to be thinking deeply at the mention of the man's name. "Dr. Ni…Ni Jianyi? Are you speaking of **that **man?"

"You know who he is?" Goku asked curiously.

"Kouryuu, don't you remember that time when we were sweeping up the temple-

"We were _always_ sweeping up the temple." Sanzo retorted gruffly.

"-And that little boy wanted to play with us?" Suzume went on as if her companion never spoke. "He had a stuffed doll, remember?"

"No."

Gojyo interrupted the conversation with a huge grin. "Wait, wait, you two _knew_ each other when you were kids? Now why is this news to me, Sanzo-_sama_? No wonder you're so soft on her!" Yuhwa was sitting right beside him, shaking her head at her brother's antics. He inherited their Grandfather's habit of seeking trouble all right.

_Click._

"You have three seconds to **shut up**."

"Ooh, is the Monk getting defensive?" Gojyo mocked only to narrowly dodge a well-aimed bullet a second later. "Oi, you trying to kill me, fake monk?"

"I told you to **shut up**, didn't I? Since you seemed as if you were having a hard time ding that, I thought that a bullet would be the perfect thing to help you do that."

"Why you-

"_Girls hate persistent boys."_

The arguing was put to a halt when Suzume spoke those words. Aoi let out an impressed whistle. "Boy, if we knew that we only had to say that to shut them up I would've said it a whole week ago."

Hakkai gave Suzume an uneasy smile. "Now why does that sentence sound so familiar?"

"Hey, didn't that 'Kami-sama' guy say that or somethin'?" Goku asked while chewing on his pork bun. "Is Dr. Ni his real name?"

"Kami…sama?" Yuhwa questioned quizzically. "Doesn't that mean 'God' in your language, Aoi?"

"Yeah, I guess that twit was a narcissist."

Sanzo lit his cigarette. "So you're saying that creepy kid is that Dr. Ni?"

"Then we can beat him no problem! We already defeated him before!" Goku piped up optimistically. Suzume shook her head. "Unfortunately, he wasn't who I wanted you to remember and…wait, you beat that poor kid up Kouryuu?"

Sanzo snorted. "He wasn't such a 'poor' kid when he fought all four of us."

"Still, it was four against one. And I don't think he knew any better. His teacher was the one who corrupted him so badly." Suzume retorted. "Don't you remember, Kouryuu? The first person that said that?"

Sanzo growled at the memory.

* * *

><p>"You take the right side and I'll take the left, Suzume." Kouryuu ordered. Suzume nodded and rolled up her sleeves. "Okay! I'll finish before you this time, Kouryuu!"<p>

Kouryuu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. As if I care about those things. Why do you like playing those kid games, anyways?"

"Well, they drive away boredom right? Auntie Kaede said that when a person becomes boring, then they'd become a zombie! If you keep it up, you'll become a zombie too!"

"As if! Besides, what the heck is a zombie?"

Suzume shrugged. "I'm not so sure…the way Auntie Kaede said it made it sound scary, though. Something about the living dead."

"How the hell does a dead be alive?"

"Hey! Let's play!" A voice interrupted. The two looked up to see a pale, blonde boy. He had a piece of cloth over an eye for some reason. He was holding a doll and was wearing a smile that made both Kouryuu and Suzume very uneasy. He went up to Kouryuu. "Wanna _play_?"

The boy grabbed his arm.

Kouryuu jerked back and began struggling his arm away from the other boy's touch. "Stop! I don't want to! Let me go!"

Suzume, seeing her friend in trouble came to his side and pushed the strange boy away from Kouryuu. "He says that he doesn't want to! Now stop!"

_Thud_

The doll fell onto the ground.

"Oh… I'm sorry." Suzume apologized and Kouryuu echoed after her.

Suzume heard laughter from behind and whirled around. "Now, now, girls hate it when boys are persistent."

_He was like a crow._

"Come here."

The boy rushed over to the man's side before making a face at both Suzume and Kouryuu's direction. "Coming, Sensei!"

The man walked over to the pair. "Oh! You're a boy? You have such a pretty face. I thought you were a girl."

Suzume could tell that Kouryuu was a bit pissed at the man's mistake. She stifled a giggle. It wasn't the first time that her friend was mistaken as a female.

"Hmm? There's another?" The man knelt down in front of Suzume. She finally got a better look on his face. He was a young, bespectacled, dark-haired man wearing the garbs of a Sanzo priest. "Oh! It's a cute little sparrow!"

Suzume shifted uncomfortably as she felt her hair being tousled. "Um, thank you…sir?"

"Well," The man said briskly while taking off the strange golden crown (Suzume never knew what that thing was called nor did she care) and gave the pair a slightly unnerving smile, "I'll be going then Suzume-chan."

Suzume thought it odd that he knew her name. She found it even more odd that the man, despite being a Sanzo, didn't have that chakra thing on his forehead.

The kid behind him stuck his tongue out at Suzume.

* * *

><p>"You think I would forget?" Sanzo scoffed. "That bastard called me a girl."<p>

"Who are ya talking about Sanzo? Huh?" Goku questioned. "Who called you a girl?"

"Ukoku Sanzo, otherwise known as the ex-youngest person to become a Sanzo, is the Doctor Ni Jianyi the goddess was speaking of. He's a dangerous man."

"He was also the man who kicked all your asses just recently." The goddess added helpfully. Realization finally dawned on the Sanzo-ikkou followed by anger and embarrassment.

"The guy who killed Hazel!" Goku gasped. (Though, he was understandably unaware that the narcissistic, youkai-hating blonde was in fact alive.)

Suzume suppressed a smile. (Special ability to see the past and the future, remember? She _knows_ things. _Every_thing.)

"That crow bastard!" Gojyo snarled. Kasumi jumped and attempted to cover Kiku's innocent ears. "Language, Gojyo-nii! Language! There are _children_ here!"

"If he can swear-

"-can we swear too, Kasumi?" The twins piped mischievously.

Aoi smirked. "Nah, you two didn't win swearing rights yet. Wait 'til you're Ikki's age and I'll think about it."

A snore was heard from the teenage turtle-hanyou.

"He really did a number on us!" Hakkai laughed though, to the onlookers' horror, there seemed to be a dark cloud that was appearing over the normally cheerful man. The children whimpered and leaned closer to Kasumi.

"He called me a _girl_!" Sanzo repeated angrily.

Yuhwa took control of the conversation, seeing that it was going nowhere. "So, you're saying that the threats that this guy is going to bring in are going to be a handful."

"Yes! _Someone_ who gets it!" Kanzeon exclaimed in relief. "Now, listen well. Dr. Ni somehow took control over the gate that I used to bring you four here. He was the one who led the youkai horde over to this side. That little stunt was just a test to see how the gate worked. That madman is now going to try bringing three monsters to where you are. They're-"

BOOM!

The whole inn shook violently. Kanzeon cursed under her breath. "Dammit, I'm out of time!"

"What's happening?" Aoi yelled as another deafening BOOM shook the place once again. She protectively put her arms around the twins. "Aren't you going to help us?"

Kanzeon bit her thumbnail. "I have to go! The other gods will realize that I'm gone if I stay any longer! Good luck!" She snapped her fingers and disappeared.

"…the heck?" Aoi shrieked.

"I told you she was useless! She didn't even finish her freaking message! What the hell did that crazy doctor send at us?" Yuki shrieked from her seat. Kasumi sniffed the air. "…Youkai?"

"Again?!"

Sanzo snorted. "Sounds a bit more than that."

"What else do you smell, sweetheart?" Gojyo asked nervously as Kasumi sniffed even more with a strange look over her face. "Wait…not just youkai from our home…the scent's familiar…yeah, it can only be-

"It's the scent of Chinese youkai that she smells!" Sado announced proudly. "I can sense about four of 'em out there with my bare feet!"

"…"

"Erm, how do you… 'sense' them exactly?" Hakkai questioned after an awkward silence.

"With my bare feet!"

"Yeah, we sort of got that already." Gojyo assured him.

Sado scratched his head. "Well, it's a talent that Dad gave me through his blood. The vibrations that are sent throughout the earth when a person is moving tell me where they are and how many there are. I can "see" better than everyone combined in this room as long as my feet stays rooted to the ground. We moles need to way to get around somehow, you know."

"Oh…I see."

Kasumi patted Sado's head. "Great explanation there, Sado."

"Ooh! Ooh! A whole horde of-

"-youkai! Kasumi, let us fight with you this time? Please? Please? We wanna kick some youkai-butt too!"

Aoi spun her scythe experimentally a few times before setting it down with a final 'clunk'. "Not today, kiddies. We need to get rid of these critters like, pronto. We're in a village filled with a good amount of people, if you two didn't forget. Maybe next time."

"Awww!" The two chorused in disappointment.

Kasumi frowned. "I don't know, Aoi. I think we'll be needing the kids to help out. There's a lot of youkai that was sent to this side. If we don't want any people getting eaten, possessed, cut-up, maimed, or worse I think we need them to join us."

Suzume stood up and reached for her bow only to be stopped by Sanzo. "Kouryuu?"

"Oh no you don't! You're **not **going to shoot all those shiny, shaman arrows and pass out again! You _just_ woke up and it took you a whole day of sleep to recover!" He angrily pointed at the door. "There's no way that I'm going to lug you around for the rest of the week! You're heavy!"

Translation: I don't want you to get hurt again.

Thank Kami Suzume can interpret Sanzo-nese fluently.

"It will only be a shot to close up the gate, that's all." Suzume assured her childhood friend. She patted his arm that was still restraining her. "Thank you for worrying about me."

"I wasn't worried, damn woman!" Sanzo spluttered while releasing his grip on her as if she was a hot oven. "Fine then! Just go! Hell if I care what happens to you!"

Suzume nodded thankfully and made her way outside with the rest of the group.

"Anyone got anything else to say to me?" The priest asked angrily, daring anyone to make a comment. _Especially_ a smirking kappa. "I'm NOT worried about that stupid woman, dammit!"

There was a moment of silence when all eyes were on Sanzo.

Surprisingly it was Ikki who snorted and managed to lazily lift his head up. "Monk in denial." He grunted in amusement.

A lethal fan slapped the poor hanyou's head. "Aren't you supposed to be outside?!"

Ikki rubbed his head grouchily, "Suffering jet lag. I want more sleep. 'Sumi didn't mind when I didn't join in."

"JUST GET OUT!"

"Fine, fine. Ikki's leaving, grouchy monk."

The door slammed shut, once again leaving the room to be silent.

Then, it was boldly broken by a slightly alarmed question.

"Where's Bi-dam?"

* * *

><p>BOOM!<p>

Bi-dam jumped just in time to avoid a disturbingly well-aimed blast from a Japanese youkai. His sweaty hand gripped the equally sweaty hand of Sora. The pair ran like hellhounds were at their heels, although the situation was not that different.

This thing doesn't know when to give up, does it? This seems a bit problematic.

_Do you think we'll make it to Kasumi in time?_

Bi-dam's brow creased with worry. Lets hope so. Dammit all! If only I had a weapon on me! I really have to ask Mom to make me a good sheath so I can carry my sword around 24/7.

"Slow down, children. Your moving around is making it really hard to kill you!" The youkai hissed in frustration while readying another blast.

"Yeah, and we'll come to you just like that because you want to kill us." Sora said sarcastically before Bi-dam roughly jerked her away from the incoming blast. "Don't talk, just run!"

BOOM!

Bi-dam quickened his running pace when he saw people ahead. _Adults._

To a child (okay, a child who lived nine whole lives so far but still a child at heart), Adults meant safety and protection so he made a beeline toward them.

_Bi-dam, I don't like the smell of those adults. They smell like youkai too._

Well, darn.

The childish part of Bi-dam wanted to go to the group of four because he was scared for his life. The more mature and cautious part of him, though, knew that it was smarter to follow what Sora said.

So, should we avoid them?

Surprised that Bi-dam was asking her for advice, Sora blinked. _Um, I think we should head toward them anyways. They don't feel dangerous. They just feel strong._

To the group of four, then

"GAH! PLEASE HELP US!" Bi-dam hollered as helplessly as he could. The leader of the four, it seems, turned first and caught sight of the running children. He seemed to be attempting to chant some spell and aimed it at the youkai behind them. The fireball that appeared between the man's hands and it shot at the youkai's face, temporarily stunning it. "Thanks."

"What are you children doing out here alone? It's too dangerous." The man scolded (?) and checked them over for any injury of some kind. "Are you two hurt? Did that thing do anything?"

"We managed." Sora said with a breathless grin. "We were too fast for that bugger."

_He seems nice enough, Bi-dam._

Don't let your guard down.

"We're fine." Bi-dam assured the man. "I just need some sort of weapon to finish that thing off. Your fireball was able to stun it a little but you need a much more forward approach to defeat the youkai. Do you have any?"

Suspicion flashed across the man's golden eyes at Bi-dam's request. Bi-dam didn't mind the suspicion. He was more relieved that this man was no idiot. "How are you so confident in wielding a weapon like that? You seem a little too young."

"You see that thing over there?" Bi-dam asked while pointing back at the recovering youkai. "My friend here and I had to grow up fighting these creatures every day or we'd be dinner by now. The question should be: Why_ isn't_ this eight-year-old armed?"

_You sound really old, Bi-dam._ Sora teased. _Are you sure you're eight?_

If only she knew.

There was a snort coming from the back and a taller and more muscled man came into view. He looked at Bi-dam with amusement. "Here. I have a weapon, kid. If you can lift this thing, I'll let you use it."

"Dokugakuji!" A pretty woman exclaimed. "He's just a child!"

"Yeah, Doku! Besides, that kid looks scrawny! How can he lift your weapon?" A younger girl (Goku's age, maybe?) stated rudely while pointing at Bi-dam.

"Look at his eyes." Dokugakuji said calmly, mostly aiming his statement to the leader of the group. "Does he look like a child to you?"

Everyone looked at him.

It was slightly unnerving, but Bi-dam kept still at met all their gazes coolly. It was the poker face he used to use during his days as an assassin. It helped a lot when he had to kill his…younger targets.

Yes, that life was one of his darkest lives that he lived.

Bi-dam's eyes slowly closed.

* * *

><p>At first, the Assassin that Bi-dam once was had no name and he always covered his face. Remorse? He never knew what that was. Happiness? He never realized that the emotion even existed. Mercy?<p>

What was this mercy? The Assassin only killed mindlessly, that's all. He even killed the people who saw him doing the act if that was necessary.

"_Please…spare my child! You can kill me, just don't kill my baby!"_

"_You monster!"_

"_Mister? Why are you covered in blood? Are you hurt? Mister? Mister? Ouch! OUCH! Mister, why did you hurt me? It hurts! It hurts! Please stop it!"_

But then…

"_If I let you kill me, will you spare my sister and watch over her? She is innocent. I am the true sinner here. Kill me and spare my sister."_

Why he accepted that man's offer was beyond his understanding. Even more confusing was why that girl he had to watch over looked at him with that strange emotion. Yes, she screamed at him for killing her brother at first. That was a natural reaction after he killed but she quieted down after a while.

"_Mr. Assassin, I pity you."_

Pity?

He never knew it when he saw it.

The girl was called Anahita, a Persian just like he was…or he was told to be. If he were any interested in appearances, he would've thought of her as beautiful. But he wasn't, so he perceived her as a clumsy and simple-minded.

He slowly learned that Anahita was much slower and clumsier than him physically. He had to slow down in his missions or carry her if he wanted to move in a faster pace. Protecting her was also a bother. He taught her how to use the knife instead so she could at least defend herself against the petty attackers.

Slowly…

Ever so slowly, he became attached to the Persian girl.

When she was wounded, his mind was sent into a panic for the first time. Panic. This emotion unsettled him but he quickly took her to the closest doctor to check her wounds. When the doctor told him that Anahita would be fine, he felt as if a huge weight was lifted out of his chest, letting him breathe again.

Relief

"_Anahita, are you still hurting?"_

"_No, I'm better now. Thank you for saving me, Mr. Assassin."_

He was never thanked before.

"_Mr. Assassin, do you have a name?"_

"_No. My mother threw me away without giving me a name. My teacher found me and raised me but he never gave me a name."_

"_Hmm, then I'll give you one. From today, your name is Arsalan!"_

He never had a name before.

"_Okay, I got it!" Anahita grinned while holding up a fish. The fish's tail slapped her face and escaped back into the water, leaving behind a stunned Anahita with a red slap mark on her right cheek._

"_Pfffft."_

_Anahita's shocked expression became questioning. "Did you…just laugh?"_

"_I have no idea what you are talking about."_

"_You did! You did!"_

He never laughed before.

"_Hey Arsalan, can I see your face?"_

"…" _Arsalan reluctantly took his mask off of his face. He uncomfortably waited as Anahita's eyes looked at him with wide eyes. "You're younger than I thought you would be."_

"_I am? How old did you think I was?"_

"_About thirty."_

"_So you thought I was an old man."_

"…_Yes?"_

He never showed anyone his face before.

"_Here." Arsalan wrapped a shivering Anahita with his coat even though she already had one on. She looked at him with concern. "A-Are you-u sure?"_

"_I'll be fine."_

He never…

"_Flowers." The assassin said simply as he held them out to the blushing girl. "You said they were pretty so I bought them."_

"_U-Um, thank you?"_

Never…

"…_Arsalan?"_

_Anahita stared up at the Assassin who was currently on top of her. It would've looked as if they were sharing a romantic moment like all those cheesy love stories did if it weren't for the fact that both were covered in blood._

_Thank Allah that they were all his._

He never thought that the girl would mean so much to him

"_Anahita…safe?"_

"_Idiot, you're the one with a hundred arrows lodged onto your back." Anahita sobbed._

_Arsalan let out a shaky sigh in relief. "Anahita…safe. Shhh, don't…cry."_

He never thought that he would desire to live a little longer during his last moments.

"_I…lo-" Arsalan choked on his blood. The feeling of urgency and dread in the prospect of dying surprised him. Shouldn't he welcome this fate? He was trained to accept this scenario years ago. He should just let go and welcome death's embrace-_

_No_

_He couldn't die now._

_Not with Anahita alone. He couldn't leave Anahita alone. He wanted more time with her. He _needed_ more time. Just…a little more time._

_Anahita's tear-stained face was the last thing he saw when he drew his last breath-_

But that was only because he wasn't able to say, "I love you".

* * *

><p>Bi-dam opened his eyes.<p>

Not all of his lives were honorable, but Bi-dam was willing to repent in this life for all of his past sins.

"…I see what you are saying." The one called "Kou" sighed. Dokugakuji handed Bi-dam his weapon. All blinked in surprise when Bi-dam seemed to show no strain in holding the weapon. "…What?"

_You're uber-strong, Bi-dam. How can you hold that sword so easily?_

I'm a Blacksmith. I held heavier things than this.

He let the blunt edge of the blade rest on his shoulder and calmly walked toward the youkai. What was to fear if he had a weapon on him? Bi-dam readied himself in front of the youkai.

The youkai snorted at Bi-dam's small form. Kougaiji stiffened and prepared another spell just in case the young hanyou needed help. "How hilarious! A whelp hanyou is challenging ME? Weren't you the one I was chasing moments ago? How can you ever think of defeating ME? I'm Orichimaru, the Lord of all Snakes! I'm the God of all creatures that crawl on the ground! I'm-"

"You really like the sound of your own voice, don't you?" Bi-dam interrupted offhandedly while picking his ear. "Mom is going to throw a fit if I don't go back soon. I bet Kiku is also worried about you, Sora. I'll finish this quickly and then we can go back to eat lunch. I'm starving!"

The youkai (ahem, Orichimaru) bristled in fury at Bi-dam's indifference. "How dare you! I'll just shut your rude mouth up permanently then, brat!"

_You made Mister Lord of the Snakes angry, Bi-dam! _Sora's urgent voice echoed in the corners of his mind.

Relax. I know what I'm doing.

Seconds after he said that, Bi-dam was right behind the youkai. The sword that he held was angled in a way that showed he finished a slashing motion.

The shocked youkai spluttered, "Im…possible" before blood gushed out.

"Snake Lord my ass." Bi-dam snorted sardonically. "And I wasted three minutes with a guy like that. Talk about disappointing."

The blood drummed onto his skin like rain and the smell of death covered him like a cloak.

"Bi-dam…you got blood all over your, well, everywhere." Sora said a little dazedly while staring at the mess that he made. Bi-dam looked back at the people behind him and gave them all a chilling smile. "Yes, beautiful isn't it?"

"Do you want me to clean it off of you?" The woman called Yaone asked in concern.

Bi-dam shook his head. "Nah, let the blood stay. It's been a while since I felt it on my skin." There was a strange look that crossed Bi-dam's eyes, a dangerous look of calm insanity that put Kougaiji in an edge. "Let Yaone clean the blood off, child. It looks unsettling on you."

"Really? I thought it looked good next to my hair and eyes, if you know what I mean."

A strong hand landed on Bi-dam's shoulder. "Kid, I think it's a good idea to drop the weapon and let Yaone clean you up."

_Bi-dam, you're scaring me._

Sora's small voice in his mind snapped him out of his strange mood and caused him to drop his sword. "Ah…"

_Are you back to normal?_

Bi-dam looked at his bloodstained hands and looked back up a bit sadly. "I guess I…did it again, huh?"

Repenting for your past sins are hard when you already have a plate full of sins that you will make in the future.

He allowed that little, red monster to swallow him up again.

When will he finally drown in the sea of blood that he made?

"Sorry about that Sora. You must've been scared. Let's go back to the group."

_**Are you still hurting?**_

* * *

><p>"INCOMING YOUKAI!" The twins shrieked before chucking rocks, nuts, and shrunken at the youkai.<p>

It was a relief when Suzume closed up the gate but there were a whole lot of youkai that remained in their plain. Sado covered most of the weaker youkai that walked on land while the twins took care of the weaker youkai that flew.

This time, Hakkai joined into the fray and helped the children when they missed a couple of youkai.

Aoi and Kasumi kicked strong ass as always.

Yuki tapped her foot impatiently. "What's taking them so long? It's almost lunchtime and they didn't even kill off half of the youkai!"

"…Shouldn't you help them, Yuki-sama?" Komu asked meekly.

"You know the answer to that question already."

"It's no." Komu said dejectedly. "I'll shut up now."

Suzume smiled contently as she leaned against Sanzo's arm and held little Kiku on her lap. "They seem to be having fun, don't you think Kouryuu?"

"Who cares?" Sanzo asked grumpily while flipping through the newspaper. He growled in annoyance when some youkai blood got onto it. "THAT'S IT! THOSE YOUKAI ARE GOING TO DIE!"

Sanzo began shooting bullets at random and jerked back in surprise when the bullets actually went through most of the youkai flesh. "It hit?"

"Aoi made your bullets stronger the other day, remember?" Suzume reminded patiently.

And image of a cackling Aoi throwing his bullets into the youkai goo came into Sanzo's mind. "Oh."

"What're you saying! 'Oh'? You almost shot all of us dead, ya fake monk!" Aoi shrieked angrily.

"Awesome! I can kick some youkai ass now!" Goku celebrated.

"Does **anyone** care about Bi-dam?" Yuhwa asked exasperatingly. "He could be eaten by now!"

"I'll help find the kid. Don't worry about it…Sis." Gojyo finished a bit awkwardly. Yuhwa breathed a sigh in relief and shuffled through a bag that she produced out of nowhere. "Here. Take this. It's Bi-dam's sword but it's really useful against youkai. You'll be able to stand a better chance against them when you go out looking for him."

"Um…cool sword?"

Yuhwa smiled. "Thank you. Bi-dam made it himself when he turned six. It's his first weapon that he made actually. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Whoa, that's pretty cool! Bi-dam made this when he was _six_?" Goku looked at the weapon in awe. "He's really talented!"

"Yeah." Gojyo agreed.

Yuhwa smiled softly at Gojyo's expression. "If you would like, I can teach you how to make swords after this chaos is all over."

"Wha-? Really?"

"Of course," Yuhwa said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You may be called "Sha Gojyo" but that doesn't mean that you're not a Kim. And I won't accept that my own little brother doesn't know how to make a weapon."

Goku jumped up and down. "Can I learn too?"

"Well," Yuhwa paused a little bit, "if you don't mind getting burned, sure. Though your height might be a little problem."

Gojyo smirked. "Ha! Heard that? She's saying that you're still a kid, stupid monkey!"

"Shut up, cockroach! That's not what she meant and you know it!"

Yuki jumped up out of nowhere and whacked the squabbling pair harshly. "You two, do your jobs and look for the kid already! The youkai horde is beginning to thicken!"

"Yes ma'am!" Goku said and obeyed out of fear. Gojyo just grumbled before doing the same. He turned to Yuhwa. "We'll find him, don't worry." And with that, he threw himself into the cloud of youkai.

Ikki slowly rumbled toward the fight, taking his sweet time to get there.

Hey, he's a turtle hanyou. And his nap was interrupted. Can't blame him for being a bit late.

"TAKE COVER!" The children screamed out of fear when a huge youkai decided to send a huge fireball at the children's direction. Hakkai was about to go over and help them but was stopped by Aoi. "Whoa, whoa, if you go in front of a fire blast like that, you won't last a second in this kind of battlefield!"

"But Miss Aoi, what about the children? Aren't you the least concerned about their well-being?"

Aoi chuckled as an explosion sounded behind her. Hakkai winced. "I would've gotten rid of that youkai a long time ago if I thought those kids couldn't handle it. They ran to Ikki for a reason. Look."

The Healer's eyes widened in surprise when he saw that the children were safe and unburnt. The only person who looked at least a little different was Ikki, whose clothes were slightly singed. "Oh…my."

"He's a freakin' turtle hanyou. They have super-strong skin inherited from their youkai parent so they make the best shield. And the best part is, they don't care if they're used as a shield. Well, they're not aware of it more like." Aoi said while sweatdropping as she watched Ikki yawning and blinking as if nothing happened.

* * *

><p>Bi-dam sat alone on top of the hill, curled up in a ball.<p>

Kami, I screwed up big time. Why did I had to snap?

_Does this happen a lot?_ Sora's quiet voice asked.

He mentally shook his head. No, it only happens when something triggers my…dark persona like blood, death, or some sort of violence that is caused by me.

_How many times?_

In my life? About twice. One was when a noble bullied me and threatened to kill Mom 'cause he wasn't satisfied with his sword. The other time was when a youkai killed my friend.

Do you hate me now?

"Hey kid, you okay?" Dokugakuji's voice snapped Bi-dam from his mental conversation with Sora. Bi-dam made no movement to suggest that he heard him. Dokugakuji sighed and sat down right beside him. "You know, we're not angry at you for what happened. We know that you didn't mean it."

Bi-dam just shifted away from the swordsman.

"You're pretty good with the sword, strong too. I'm impressed that you were able to cut down the youkai in mere seconds." Dokugakuji continued. "Don't be ashamed that you're talented."

A snort was heard. Dokugakuji took it as an improvement and went on.

"You don't have to cry-

"I'm not crying!" Bi-dam snapped while jerking his head up to pin Dokugakuji with a defensive glare. "I stopped doing that ages ago!"

Booming laughter filled Bi-dam's ears and surprised him into standing up. "What's so funny?"

"You act a lot like my little brother, kid. You look a lot like him too." He knelt down to Bi-dam's height and messed up his hair. "So don't make that kind of face. My little brother did that a lot when he was your age. You look like an old man when you frown like that. Enjoy your childhood when you have it."

Bi-dam rolled his eyes at the man's words. "Stop worrying about me. It's not like you're my _Dad_. I got Mom to worry about me enough."

"Yeah, let your mother worry. You're only eight after all."

_I like this guy, Bi-dam. I think you should listen to what he's saying._

Bi-dam snorted but he gave Dokugakuji a small smile. "Fine, I'm young. I get it. Thanks for the talk, by the way. I sort of needed it."

"Anytime when you need it. You took down a youkai by yourself for us so I guess this will make us fair. What was your name again? I didn't catch it."

Bi-dam allowed himself to grin. "I never told you."

"_My name is Bi-dam, Kim Bi-dam."_

* * *

><p>And CHAPTER FINISHED! Whew! I thought I was going to faint!<p>

Like this chapter? Don't like?

I thought Bi-dam interacting with his father without knowing it might've been a good scene to write so I wrote it. It's true that characters take control of the story.

Next chapter will be a Aoi/Hakkai chappie with more drama! So until then, please wait!

REVIEW!


	10. Aoi's Secret

Here I am with another chapter!

Sorry for the long wait, school's killing me with the amount of homework it gives me!

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 9: Aoi's Secret

"_**You're just like the beautiful lotus blossoms that bloom in the mud. You make the tainted world just a little more cleaner with your presence."**_

Blood

Blood is raining from the sky

A smile graced a certain blue-haired girl's lips as she raised her weapon to finish the already-dying youkai off so its misery would end. The deformed demon gurgled a curse at her before it fell like its other brothers and sisters had.

Hakkai couldn't help but find the sight beautiful. Strange, wasn't it? To find a woman surrounded by death and having endless blood on her hands attractive wasn't normal, without a doubt.

This was the very picture of sin, imperfection, and cruelty.

Yet, he found it painfully beautiful.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" A voice interrupted the healer's train of thought and brought him plummeting back down to earth. "Hmm? What did you say, Miss Yuhwa?"

Yuhwa snorted at Hakkai's politeness and waved it away as if it were a gadfly. "Please, just Yuhwa would be fine. Hakkai, is it?"

"Yes…Yuhwa." Hakkai said awkwardly. "I was a little distracted. Can you please repeat what you said?"

"I asked if you think Aoi was beautiful but I think I already have my answer." Yuhwa answered with a twinkle in her eye. "You look dumbstruck, in a good way. Usually, the reaction she would get would be horror or fear. I'm a little surprised that a refined man like you would find this scene beautiful but I guess I shouldn't think much of it."

Hakkai coughed in embarrassment. "I couldn't help but admire the scene."

Yuhwa laughed. "Don't worry, you're not the only one who finds beauty in the battlefield. I have the same feelings too. There's just something about the blood and the gore that makes her so beautiful in contrast."

"Actually Yuhwa, I find that the fact that she was the one who created this "blood and gore" very beautiful." Hakkai admitted. Yuhwa had a strange look cross her eyes before it disappeared as fast as it came. She shrugged and turned away from him.

"Just like _him_." Yuhwa murmured lowly to herself but Hakkai caught it. He made no show that he heard her but the simple sentence got him curious.

Who was this _him_? A brother? A friend?

A lover?

It suddenly struck the healer that he hardly knew anything about the blue-haired woman despite their long, intellectual conversations. Aoi struck him as the kind of woman who would be more open about her personal life. But she always had been a bit more distanced from the group than the others. Now that he thought about it, she always avoided the questions about her childhood.

What was Aoi trying to hide?

…

And why the _hell _was he so concerned about it? It was none of his business!

* * *

><p>"-so that's how I managed to sneak into the temple and steal the offerings." Bi-dam said proudly.<p>

They group decided to remain where they were for the time being because of the youkai infestation. Bi-dam assured them that there wouldn't be any more youkai coming there soon because of his recent kill. To make sure, Bi-dam hung the corpse of the annoying snake lord, Orichimaru, on a tree in a similar manner as he did with the equally annoying monk.

Somewhere, a certain monk trying to escape from his bonds sneezed.

So, to pass the time, they made a campfire (fire was another thing that drove youkai off unless it was a fire youkai) and made dinner. Bi-dam told the rest of the group about his life in Korea and ended up telling them the mischief that he also did there.

Lirin clapped. "That was a great story!"

"You didn't actually _keep_ the offerings that you stole, did you?" Yaone looked at Bi-dam in concern. Bi-dam gave her a careless shrug. "Depends on what you mean by that."

Kougaiji gave Bi-dam a look. "Children your age shouldn't steal things from others."

"Children my age shouldn't be begging for food and medicine. Children my age shouldn't be worried every single second that there might be a sneaky youkai waiting to gobble them up. They should be playing games with smiles all around. But the world isn't fair like that, is it?" Bi-dam shot back smartly.

Kougaiji had no reply to that.

Dokugakuji chortled in laughter, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Serves those high and mighty monks right! Good job, kiddo! So what did you do with the loot that you stole?"

"The fruits I shared with my friends. The pretty statues sold for a good price so I bought medicine with the money and gave it to the local infirmary. It was close to winter so there's a good chance that they would need it." Bi-dam said offhandedly. "I saved the leftover money to buy a sack of rice."

Sora bit her lip. "Did the monks know that you did it?"

"Who cares? Where's the evidence? With the fruits gone, the relics sold, and the money I got from it shared, what could they do to me? I'm just a little eight-year-old hanyou who managed to scrap up enough money to buy _one_ bag of rice." Bi-dam explained with a smirk. "The villagers were grateful enough to keep their mouths shut. No one liked those phony monks anyways."

Sora gaped at the red head. "I never knew you could be so sneaky! Is there _anything_ you can't do, Bi-dam?"

"I can't embroider a handkerchief for my life?" He offered.

"That's pretty much a useless talent anyways." Sora mumbled. "And you're a boy! Why would you care about embroidery?"

Bi-dam recalled his last life as a woman. It was a bit awkward knowing that you used to be a woman in your past life but the knowledge he received from that life was more than useful.

He used to be a very famous courtesan who was talented in all things

…aside from embroidery.

The pain from pricking his fingers countless times didn't escape his memory and he clearly remembered the loathing he used to have for that needle and thread.

"No idea. It's just the first thing I could come up with."

Sora grumbled. "Show off. So you _know_ that you're talented."

"Hey, don't blame a boy for being honest." Bi-dam said with his hands up in defense. A roughish grin escaped onto his mouth. Sora couldn't help but grin back. _You're not as modest as you make yourself seem to be._ She thought to him.

Nope, but that's going to be a secret between us, 'kay Sora? Don't want Mom to get disappointed that I'm not exactly perfect.

_Your Mom doesn't seem like the type who would want a perfect son. I think she would love you no matter what._

Yeah, but she deserves a better son. Don't you think? It's bad enough that I'm a hanyou.

_Is being a hanyou really that bad?_

Look at how we're treated by the world and ask that question again.

_Oh._

Silence

But I'm sort of okay with the fact that I'm a hanyou. I got to be something that the heavens don't really approve of.

_What kind of thought is that? Do you have something against the Gods?_

You can say that. And with that, Bi-dam didn't think anything else to her for the rest of dinner.

* * *

><p>How can finding <em>one<em> kid be so troublesome?

"Bi-dam! Bi-dam! Come 'ere boy! I got some food!" Goku called, receiving a slap on the back of his head. "Shut it ya stupid monkey. The kid isn't like you and he _definitely_ doesn't have a stomach for a brain."

"Well I don't see you having any other good ideas! At least I'm doing something, you've been quiet the whole time we've been out here!" Goku snapped back. "We've been out here for _hours_! And I'm hungry!" He ended his rant with his usual complaint.

As if to make a point, his stomach grumbled.

Gojyo looked at his companion with a raised eyebrow. "You really have a stomach for a brain, don't you?"

"SHUT UP! I missed dinner so BUG OFF!"

Gojyo snorted. "Well you should've eaten a bit faster before the youkai horde came."

"How should I know when the sky throws up youkai? I'm not some youkai detector!"

"And I thought you'd at least be a bit useful in that area. Huh, my bad." Gojyo apologized mockingly.

"I'll kill ya!" Goku screeched before pouncing on Gojyo.

All youkai that saw this spectacle either sweatdropped, gaped, shook their heads, or ignored them.

Humans stupid enough to squabble in the midst of a youkai horde?

Yeah

This place was_ definitely _not Japan.

* * *

><p>Bi-dam had lots of different opinions in the strange group in front of him.<p>

Yaone was nice. She was sort of like an older sister in his eyes. Her kindness and gentle touch reminded him of his mother.

Kougaiji…Bi-dam didn't really like him but even he could see that the youkai was a good leader who has the respect of his subordinates.

Dokugakuji gave him some mixed feelings. Someone like him should've set off some alarm bells in Bi-dam's mind but something about the gentle giant made the usually cautious hanyou trust him.

And the man felt strangely familiar…

Lirin was a brat. Funny, but she was still a brat.

"Bi-dam, Bi-dam, Bi-dam, Bi-dam…."

Bi-dam's eye twitched as his name was being abused, mauled, and overused by the energetic little sister of the man he didn't really like. "Yes? I heard you the first time."

"Nah, nothing. It's just that your name sounds really weird."

Twitch

"Really now? I guess it's just a different culture thing. Sora's name means 'sky' in Japanese. I'm sure that your name means something too in your language."

"Nah, I bet your name sounds really weird even in your own country, right? I mean, Bee Dam. What was your mother thinking naming you after an insect and a beaver home?"

Twitch, Twitch, Twitch

"…"

"Bee Dam, Bee Dam~" Lirin sang.

Kougaiji sent Bi-dam an apologetic look. They may not like each other, but he could sympathize. The girl was his little sister. He went through that pain for a while.

**Snap**

Lirin stopped singing and stared at Bi dam in surprise. In the young boy's hands was a broken branch as thick as Dokugakuji's arm and _that_ was thick.

Maybe…she pushed him a little too far?

"…Oi." Bi-dam murmured darkly, making Lirin jump. "Didn't I tell you that it's a different culture thing? Back in Korea, my name doesn't mean 'Bee' or 'Dam'. Only the most superstitious would name their children something as stupid as that." Bi-dam smirked. "Oh, and your name would mean giraffe in my language."

Well, not really. But her name did rhyme with the word so…close enough.

Lirin glared at him and stuck out her tongue. "Well I think your language is dumb!"

"Lirin!" Yaone scolded.

Bi-dam shook his head. "It's okay, Yaone. She's just a child. She'll mature eventually."

Dokugakuji snorted and Sora giggled.

Lirin nodded in agreement, not yet realizing the subtle insult. "Yeah! I'm just a-Hey! You're younger than me!"

Bi-dam nodded in mock agreement. "Yes, yes, you're right and your actions _definitely_ show your maturity."

Oh

**Burn**

"Why you-

"Enough." Kou gave his younger sister a firm look.

Lirin looked like she wanted to complain. "But he-

"No."

"Didn't you just hear-

"Yes. And I think you shouldn't embarrass yourself any further." Kou's tense statement made Lirin to grudgingly back down…for now.

Bi-dam internally smirked at his victory. It was a rare childish emotion that he experienced. Usually, he would act more mature, but something about this group pushed away the other nine lives and boiled him down to just Bi-dam.

An eight-year-old hanyou who can kick serious Japanese youkai ass

It was slightly…refreshing.

_Bi-dam?_

Yeah?

_I don't think she likes you._ Sora noted.

Bi-dam snickered. Good. I don't like her either. No one insults my home country and no one insults my mother's naming abilities.

…

What?

_You're a Mama's boy, aren't you?_

Bi-dam began to splutter. What? I'm **not**.

_Uh huh. Right._

Fine. You don't have to believe me. Bi-dam began to sulk.

Sora giggled. _You're funny._

And you're mean.

_You don't really mean that. And I think it's nice that you love your mother that much. You're lucky. I wish I had a mother._

Sora's wistful tone wasn't missed by Bi-dam. You don't have a mother?

_She died when she gave birth to Kiku. Dad didn't want anything to do with us when mom died. We were useless to him._

I'm sorry.

_It's fine. Because of that, I met Kasumi and the rest of the hanyou village. I got a family who cares whether or not I live or die._

Sora turned to him.

_And I got to meet you!_

The way her eyes shined when she said that made his stomach flip and his heart speed up. Yeah…that's a good thing.

_You're really lucky. You know that, right?_

Bi-dam was very well aware of how lucky he was. He went through nine lives of having terrible parents. He considered himself lucky in this life to have at least one good parent.

That was why he loved his mother so much. There was one little part of him, the eight-year-old Bi-dam part, which feared the day when he had to leave his mother and make his own life.

He was afraid that he wouldn't experience this kind of mother-love in his next life.

Uh huh. I know it. I remind myself every day.

Sora could tell that he meant it. She could feel it.

_Hey, Bi-dam._

What now?

_What does your name mean in your language?_

Bi-dam smiled a bit bitterly. The character 'Bi' means 'rain. 'Bi-dam' means 'sad story'. Fitting for a creature like me, huh?

Sora wrinkled her nose in confusion. _Your mother named you that?_

She would do better than that if she did. She wanted to name me after my father. Our culture, though, prevented her from naming me. Someone else got first dibs.

_Then…who named you?_

Bi-dam mentally chuckled. My good old, youkai-hating grandfather did, of course.

* * *

><p>Yuhwa knew.<p>

She saw the look on too many faces to not know what it meant. She had that look on her face too, once upon a time, when she was reunited with Jien.

It was a face of a heartbroken person considering on taking another chance in love.

The Healer had that look on his face when he saw Aoi caked in blood and gore. It was an expression of awe and fondness as well as confusion.

She felt happiness for her friend when she saw this. The healer was a kind man. She knew that if Aoi gave him a chance, he would make her very happy.

Yuhwa frowned. She shouldn't be celebrating right now. _Considering_ is not a word that is finite. He could simply choose to hang onto his old love. She saw that happen many times too with disastrous results. That usually ended with a pair of broken hearts from both sides and regret.

_Will I get hurt again? _ The question was written all over his face. _Will I lose her like I did with the last one?_

_Will you take that chance?_ Yuhwa wanted to ask him but she knew that it would be in vain. It was a question that he would have to ask himself eventually.

She hoped he chose yes.

Yuhwa prayed to whatever Gods up there that the tragedy that happened years before wouldn't be repeated. Fate wouldn't be that cruel, would it? _Please, _she prayed, _let it end happily._

For Aoi's sake

* * *

><p>Kanzeon drummed her fingers on her 'humble' throne and sighed in boredom.<p>

"What's with this lack of drama?"

* * *

><p>The battle seemed to go on forever. It got to the point where <em>Yuki<em> had to step in and help. Komu freaked out when his 'Yuki-sama' actually did work without anyone telling her to. It just wasn't normal for the poor Tengu.

The youkai horde attack finally came to a standstill when Suzume fired an arrow with a complex seal tied to it. It gave the whole ground a couple of hours rest.

Yuki randomly lied down on the grass and fell asleep.

They definitely needed it.

"Gah! When is it going to end?" Sado complained. "I thought I was going to die from fatigue!" He shook he fist at the air. "You stupid youkai portal! It's all your fault!"

"Sado," Ikki put his hands on the mole hanyou and turned him so he was facing the other direction, "The portal is that way. You were screaming at grouchy monk."

"Oh…heh." Sado laughed sheepishly. "My bad."

Sanzo was too tired to yell at them but he managed a nasty glare. He was grouchy, dammit! Well, grouchier than his usual grouchy self. His bullets were all used up, his newspaper was probably being digested in a random youkai's stomach (if it isn't dead), and the air smelled of burnt bugs.

Sanzo hated bugs.

Well, hated them more than many of the other things he hated.

Suzume's herb-like scent filled his nose before he felt her hands on his shoulders. He was about to snap at her to get her hands off of him but she began to massage his shoulders, ridding him from the aching knots. Sanzo stifled a moan. It was a while since the last time he got a massage and it was from Kaede, Suzume's Aunt and Sensei.

In Sanzo's standards, a while meant** a while**.

Suzume smiled softly when she felt Sanzo relax. She wasn't thrilled to feel the endless knots in his body (how much stress did he go though while she was gone?) but it just told her that she would be giving him massages more often in the future.

"You're too stressed."

"You expect me **not** to be with those idiots?" Sanzo asked rhetorically.

Suzume chuckled. "I'm happy that you're having fun. They must keep you entertained."

"More like put me through complete hell."

"Awww, you poor baby." Aoi mocked causing some of the hanyou children to giggle. "Don't worry, Suzume will take _good_ care of you. She's great with children."

"Shut it." Sanzo growled, tensing up again. Suzume sighed. "Aoi, look what you've done. And just when I got him to relax."

Hakkai brought over a bag filled with some youkai beetle shells. "These were what you needed, right Miss Aoi?"

Aoi grinned. "Thanks Hakkai! How did you know I needed those?"

"I told him to get them." Yuhwa piped up from behind. The Korean woman held up a bag filled with…whatever it was.

Aoi's grin widened. "Yuhwa, you shouldn't have!"

"What the hell did they get this time?" Sanzo groaned in annoyance. At the same time, he was covering up the fact that he was groaning because the massage felt _so good_.

"Spider Webs spun by the spider youkai themselves! How did you manage to get them in such good condition? This will make the perfect net to capture stronger youkai!"

As Aoi admired Yuhwa's gift, Hakkai set his bag filled with beetle shells down and took a seat next to Sanzo. "That was exhausting."

"Then why did you do it?" Sanzo asked flatly.

Hakkai shrugged sheepishly. "They seemed to need the extra pair of hands."

"Pushover." Sanzo muttered before lighting a cigarette.

Hakkai rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I am."

The healer felt something tug on his pants. He looked down to see a pair of purple eyes. "Kiku? Is there something wrong?"

"I got a boo boo. Hakkai make it better?" Kiku asked cutely.

Hakkai knelt down to her level. "Of course Kiku, that's what I'm here for. So, where is the boo boo, Kiku?"

The little hanyou turned around and showed her back. Hakkai let out a small gasp when he saw the 'boo boo'. "Oh my. Where did you get this?"

"A meanie youkai scratched me." Kiku pouted.

A scratch was an understatement. Hakkai wondered how the child was even standing. Her back sported a huge gash that was spilling buckets of blood, staining her kimono.

"Kiku, I want you to stand still for me, okay? I'm going to sew this up before you lose any more blood. But first, I need to clean this."

"Okay!" Kiku chirped.

_How is she even smiling? Isn't it painful?_

Aoi walked over and whistled at Kiku's wound. "That looks huge, kid. Good thing I have silkworm balm to patch that up." Aoi took out a small marble and crushed it. She knelt down and gently rubbed the substance onto Kiku's back. Kiku wiggled a little at the contact to her wound. "It feels funny."

"It's supposed to sweetheart." Aoi told her patiently. "Now stand still."

Hakkai watched in surprise when the wound closed by itself in a matter of seconds. "How…?"

"It's Silkworm Balm. Made from the threads that the Silkworm Youkai squirts at you when it attacks." Aoi explained while Kiku skipped away with a "thanks!"

"Amazing."

Aoi smirked. "It's a pain in the ass to get but it heals people fast. It also gets rid of poison from the bloodstream if you swallow it. Tastes like shit though."

"You swallowed one?"

"Teacher forced fed it to me when a youkai squirted poison into my mouth."

"Ah."

Aoi's features became a little softer when she watched Kiku skip towards her fellow hanyou. All of them giggled as she attempted to catch Hakuryuu and pet him but he avoided her confrontations skillfully. Aoi's expression when she watched them held affection, amusement, and…wistfulness.

"Miss Aoi, do you like children?" Hakkai found himself asking.

Aoi looked at him in surprise. "Um…yeah. I like kids. I'm sort of hoping to have some once I settle down in the future. Why?"

"Just curiosity."

"Curiosity, huh? What else are you curious about Mister Hakkai?" Aoi mimicked Hakkai's habit of calling people "Miss" or "Mister" jokingly.

Hakkai actually considered her offer. "Hmmm. Would you mind telling me your blood type?"

Aoi raised her eyebrow. "Blood type? Seriously?"

"Yes. As a doctor and a friend, I feel that knowing your blood type is very important."

"Okay then, doc. I have blood type AB."

Hakkai mauled over the information. "Hmm, then it's good that I too have the same blood type. There's no need to have you die of blood loss." He said cheerfully.

Aoi sweatdropped at his optimistic personality

She understood that it was normal for someone like him to be that cheerful but…really? Even when talking about blood loss he's that darn cheerful?

Yeesh, he's scarier than she thought.

Aoi began to walk away. "Well, I'll be helping Yuhwa out now, mind checking the other kids for me? I think one of the twins cut her cheek though I'm not sure."

Hakkai began busying himself with taking care of the children.

"Pushover." He heard Sanzo mutter again.

Suzume lightly punched his shoulder. "Stop it. He's just being helpful, unlike someone I know."

"Hey Hakkai! Wanna see something cool?" Aoi asked out before chucking a small packet into a boiling cauldron that came out of nowhere. The cauldron exploded and a youkai, alive and whole, flew out. "Nice, huh? I just brought a youkai back to life!"

Yuhwa stood behind her, rolling her eyes. "Show off."

"Now _why_ would you do that?" Sanzo snarled while jumping onto his feet. Suzume sighed in slight frustration at Sanzo's tense posture. "Kouryuu, you're tense again."

Aoi waved the monk away. "It's not alive. The powder that I put just makes limbs unconsciously move."

Hakkai took a closer look at the 'live' youkai. "Interesting…"

The blue haired girl smiled in pride. "I knew a guy like you would like it! Next time, I'll use it on that snake youkai corpse I found."

"Please don't or you'll give Kouryuu a headache." Suzume sighed. "And where's Kasumi? She disappeared after I closed the barrier."

Aoi shrugged. "Beats me."

* * *

><p>When Kasumi found Gojyo and Goku squabbling, she smiled in relief but also felt the foreign feeling of irritation.<p>

So, she whacked them over the head.

"Guys! I thought you were looking for Bi-dam!" Kasumi scolded. "I can't believe you two were arguing this whole time!"

Goku winced. "Sorry."

"Yeah, sorry about that sweetheart."

Kasumi grinned. "It's okay. Bi-dam isn't weak so he should be fine. Yuhwa is getting a little concerned so she sent me. If she ever asks, both of a mountain youkai swallowed you and I had to fish you two out. No need to disappoint her, right?"

"Right…" Gojyo said guiltily.

Knowing what he felt, Kasumi patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry. I would've felt Bi-dam's horror if he was attacked. So far, he's calm and…irritated?" Kasumi ended the last part as a question.

"Irritated?" Both Gojyo and Goku echoed with the same amount of confusion.

Gojyo then went on to say. "What the heck annoyed that kid? If he's that much like me then not many things should annoy him. Except…don't tell me there's another annoying monkey out there!"

"HEY!"

* * *

><p>"Ah-CHOO!" Lirin sneezed.<p>

Yaone was at her side in an instant. "Lirin-sama! Are you catching a cold?"

Lirin shrugged carelessly while wiping her nose. "Not sure. Hey Yaone, can I have another pork bun?"

Bi-dam rolled his eyes. "You're always hungry. How do you manage to fit all that food in your body?"

"That's something for me to know and you to never find out." Lirin said in a creepy voice.

"…High Metabolism?" Sora suggested.

Lirin fell back in shock. "Gah! How did you know?"

"She didn't." Bi-dam deadpanned. "She just guessed."

Dokugakuji held Lirin back before she could get her hands on him. "Hey, hey, play nice Lirin. He's just a kid." He winked at Bi-dam over Lirin's shoulder.

Bi-dam couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p>Sora tried to focus on Yaone as the woman explained about the basics in medicine but got distracted when she saw the transparent form of a woman and a man behind her, looking at her proudly.<p>

Those people must've been her parents.

"Sora? Are you listening?" Yaone's gentle and concerned voice brought Sora back into reality. Sora smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Yaone. I'm just getting a little tired."

"Of course! You've been running from scary Japanese youkai all day!" Yaone nodded understandingly. Out of nowhere, she whipped out a blanket and placed it around Sora's small body. "There."

"Thank you." Sora murmured while burying her face into the soft material and tried to ignore the impish sprit of a dead child poking her.

"_Hey, hey, play with me. I know you can see me."_

Sora went on in ignoring him.

"_Stupid hanyou, you should be honored that a noble's son wants to play with something like you. Stop ignoring me!"_

Sora wanted to tell the brat to bug off but she knew that it would only encourage him. She simply waited until the kid decided that she couldn't see him after all.

Sora pulled the covers closer to her body.

She hated it.

Sha hated that she was able to see dead people. She hated that she couldn't do anything to make them content enough to leave. She hated that everyone she met had at least one ghost clinging onto them.

Because those ghosts always needed her help.

"_Tell him for me that I love him."_

"_Kill that man for me."_

"_Take care of that child for me."_

"_Love me."_

"_I'm sorry."_

So many of those ghosts bothered her to the point where she didn't even bother making friends. They always ended up looking at her funny. It was bad enough that she was a hanyou.

She hated not being normal.

But then there's Bi-dam. He wasn't normal, just like her.

She knew that he was someone really special.

She knew because, when she met him, he didn't have a single ghost.

He didn't have a ghost because all ghosts disappeared in his presence like he as if he was something to be feared.

* * *

><p>Hakkai couldn't help but to begin comparing Aoi with Kanan.<p>

It wasn't fair. He knew that but he couldn't help it. The two were too similar to **not** be compared.

Aoi couldn't cook for her life, she was wonderful with children, and she gave him feelings that he thought only Kanan could make him feel. Lately, everything that she did reminded him of his dead lover.

But Aoi wasn't Kanan.

_Of course not, Aoi is her own person!_ He mentally scolded himself.

Despite those similarities, both were completely different people. Aoi, for one, knew how to fight. She lived for the battle and she loved shedding blood. Her language wasn't the most refined and she had the same cocky air as Gojyo did.

She knew so much about poison and the uses that youkai body parts could provide.

She kept to herself and didn't seem to care what others thought of her. She unconsciously attracted people with her strong personality and charisma.

She was _Aoi_

Hakkai suddenly recalled a conversation he had with Gojyo about Hazel's ability to bring back the dead and his confession that he would've done the same thing in the past.

The healer laughed under his breath when he remembered the things that he listed that his next love interest would have to have.

"_She has to have a nice figure and a fetching personality."_

Aoi most definitely had a nice figure. Hakkai would've been a dimwitted fool if he didn't see that when he took care of her wounds a few nights back. Her strong and sarcastic personality made her even more charming, though Gojyo would beg to differ.

"_She'll be happy to have my children one after the other."_

Children, Aoi did say that she wanted them when she settled down in the future. Her fondness for the hanyou children was also apparent.

"_And even if I slave to support our large family, she'll push me around saying, "Now Father, you're a nuisance!"_

Hakkai chuckled. No need to have a good imagination to image Aoi doing _that_ if she ever got married.

Hakkai's smile slowly faded.

Of course

If Aoi even got married, it would be with a Japanese man. Her stay in with them was only temporary. After she helped break the barrier, she'll be whisked off back to Japan.

Hakkai sighed.

It was for the better. She was a youkai-hunter. The only reason why she wasn't hunting him down was because she had no idea that he was a youkai, thanks to the power limiters.

Hakkai touched the silver cuffs on his left ear gingerly.

_My sins_

In his mind, he was standing in a dark place with blood all over his hands like it was during _that _night. An image of Aoi appeared in front of him. Her back was facing him, seemingly staring off at something that caught her interest. Hakkai began to reach out for her. When his hands were millimeters away from her shoulder, he paused.

_There was no way that the Gods would allow these hands to touch her._

Hakkai slowly drew his hand back and Aoi's figure disappeared, immediately making him regret his decision.

_Wait…_

Even though he told himself he didn't deserve it, he still wanted…he still wanted to…

_Enough. Do you want her to die too?_

"Hakkai?"

Hakkai forced himself away from his thoughts to face Aoi's questioning eyes. He smiled. "Hmm? Miss Aoi, is there anything that you need?"

Instead of answering, Aoi looked closer. "You're not smiling."

"Pardon?"

Aoi pointed at her mouth. "You're smiling here but," she pointed at her eyes, "you're not smiling here at all. I'm not Kasumi, but even I know that's not good. Anything troubling you?"

"I'm just tired." It wasn't a lie. He truly was tired.

Aoi patted his shoulder. "Then rest."

The expression on her face made Hakkai want to hurl. It was too caring, too honest, too kind, all pointed at him.

But what made him sick were his thoughts when he saw her expression. It made him want to take her and hide away someplace where only he could keep her.

Somewhere where death wouldn't even reach her.

He heard someone call her name and she was gone from his side in an instant.

He touched the air where she once stood and smiled, bitterly this time.

_Well at least she wasn't indestructible_, Hakkai thought sardonically, _then I would've never let her go._

A scream ripped through the silence, causing Hakkai to stand suddenly and look at what caused the scream.

What he saw next caused his heart to stop.

* * *

><p>It attacked when they least expected it.<p>

Suzume's normally foolproof seals was broken by something…something strong.

And now it got Aoi.

Hakkai looked like a statue with how still he was at the moment.

Kiku stared at the scythe protruding from Aoi's stomach in horror. "A-A-Aoi-nee."

Aoi took the hit that was supposed to be for her.

Aoi smirked shakily. "Heh, is that all you got ya shitty youkai? It'll take more than that to knock me dead."

"It looks like your time is up." The youkai who inflicted the wound noted flatly. "You're going to die soon, witch."

As if on cue, Aoi hacked up a huge amount of blood before going limp. The youkai pulled his weapon out of her in disgust.

"Heh, I can't believe that something as weak as _her_ managed to wipe out my whole squadron. Pathetic." He kicked Aoi's limp body away. "Now, who's next? The half-demon? Wait, she's not here. The Priestess then."

The youkai took a step toward Suzume. Sanzo pulled out his gun and stood protectively in front of her. The youkai looked at the priest blandly. "Move. I have no time for trash like you."

Sanzo shot without warning, hitting the youkai on the shoulder.

"Next time, I won't miss."

The youkai pulled the bullet out of his shoulder, clearly irritated. "I told you that I have no time for you." The bullet wound closed up and it appeared as if he didn't have one in the first place.

In moments, the youkai was in front of Sanzo. He gave the monk a smug smile before kicking him in the stomach. Sanzo doubled over in pain before passing out. Suzume coldly glared at the youkai as he walked toward her. "You seem to know us."

"You forgot me? How hurtful."

The youkai was at Suzume's face in an instant with his scythe at her neck. He waved a piece of paper in front of her face. "You remember this? Huh? You remember how you sealed our master with this two years ago? Hmm?"

Suzume's eyes widened in realization

"You're one of the survivors."

The youkai smirked. "Yes. And I'm going to take care of you lot before my master wakes up."

"Wakes up?"

The youkai chuckled. "A charitable man managed to break your petty seal. Now, it will only be a little bit before my master wakes up. He'll be thrilled to hear that you four are dead."

"So that's what it is."

The youkai froze in shock before looking at his empty hand and then looking at the scythe's blade protruding from his abdomen. "H-How?"

Aoi smirked at the youkai. "I was able to wipe out your squadron for a reason, Lieutenant Zhao. Your fault for underestimating me."

The youkai began laughing hysterically. "YOU! So it was YOU who master wanted. To think that the Demonslayer who caused us so much trouble was the woman he was searching for!" He sneered. "You don't deserve him."

"Then you take him." Aoi told him mockingly. "I'll make sure to send him to hell for you so you won't get lonely. Don't worry, it won't be that long." Aoi turned to a pale Hakkai and smiled in greeting. "'Sup?"

Disbelief and relief covered Hakkai's features. "Miss Aoi…Thank goodness. I thought you were-

"Dead?" Aoi finished. "Nah, I feel fine and dandy. Though," she inspected her clothes, "I think I should change into less bloody clothing after this. Think the monk will mind if we drain his magical card of his?"

Hakkai just let out a breathy laugh.

The youkai made a gurgling sound. "You…your eyes. It's different."

It was true. Instead of her familiar brown eyes, it was replaced with steely, silver eyes that seemed to pierce whatever it looked at.

"What? You have problems with silver-eyed girls?" Aoi asked with a dangerous smile.

"…Not…human." The youkai gurgled. "You're a…Hanatsuki."

Hakkai looked at Aoi in confusion. "Hanatsuki?"

The youkai laughed. "You…not tell…your comrades? How…cute. Probably didn't…want…tell them…about that…youkai's heart…in your…body."

Aoi lifted her brow. "So? They know now. Now it's up to them to decide if they'll accept me or not."

"Stupid…Hypocritical…Demon…slayer." The youkai spat. "You use…tha…t heart…t…o…live yet...kill demons."

"Yes. This heart gave me the ability to live. And guess what? It gives me another cool ability. You should feel lucky that I'm telling you this 'cause not many people get to know before they die by my hands. I have the blood of a youkai flowing through me. I'm practically _immortal_ which means,"

Aoi slit the youkai's throat. "I'm freakin' indestructible. Now go and tell your master that."

* * *

><p>Ha! Finally finished!<p>

Hope people caught that I used the Hanatsuki idea from the manga _Hanatsuki Hime. _It's a great manga ;)

If people didn't remember Hakkai's telling Gojyo about his 'ideal type' then go to Saiyuki Reload Chapter 28 Page 13-15, it's a hilarious/sad part of the manga that earns a spot in my favorite scenes.

I finally made progress in Hakkai and Aoi's relationship. (Yay!)

Next chapter will focus more on Sanzo/Suzume, the annoying monk (yes, he's still alive), Yuki/Goku, and Bi-dam.

Don't worry, there'll still be some Aoi/Hakkai and Gojyo/Kasumi. Just not as much.

I also want to know how people like Bi-dam's character. Should I make him more interesting? Devious?

That's all for now. Until next time.

REVIEW!


	11. A Youkai's Heart

Oh. My. God.

Finally. A new chapter.

To all of the readers, I want to say how sorry I am for not updating for such a long time. Things in reality just got so complicated that I didn't get a chance to update. Sorry. Please don't shoot me -.-

I'll try my best to update as more frequently from now on! Thank you for your patience!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Saiyuki, it's characters, or it's setting. All of that belongs to Kazuya Minekura. I just own Suzume, Aoi, Kasumi, Yuki, and the other characters who don't appear in the manga and anime.

* * *

><p>Culture Shock<p>

Chapter 10: A Youkai's Heart

Chung, otherwise known as 'the annoying monk who wouldn't shut up about his religion', was thirsty, hungry, and currently running for his life.

How did he get out of his restraints so quickly, you ask?

Well, he didn't. He was close to giving up when a random knife flew out of nowhere and cut most of the bindings while nearly stabbing Chung.

How was he so damn lucky to manage to get out of Bi-dam's well-tied, sturdy ropes?

He wasn't. It took him another two hours before he could wiggle his chubby wrists out so he could untie the rest, which took _another_ two hours because Bi-dam was just that skilled in tying things up.

The moment he finally escaped from his bonds, he fell on top of a centipede youkai.

Luckily, his weight crushed it.

_Un_luckily, the centipede youkai wasn't alone. He had _lots _of brothers and sisters.

Today was _definitely _not Chung's day.

As he ran as fast as his little legs could take him, the monk cursed the red-haired hanyou, the fox hanyou, and the demonslayer for putting him in this Buddha-cursed situation.

* * *

><p>Bi-dam sneezed.<p>

"Uh oh, you're not getting a cold too, are you?" Dokugakuji teased the young boy playfully. Despite his light tone, he still leaned over and placed a hand on the child's forehead like his mother would do if she ever thought he might've caught a cold.

Bi-dam drew away from the man's hand with his nose wrinkled up in annoyance. "I'm _fine_. My immune system isn't as weak as that Monkey-girl. Someone just thought something nasty behind my back."

"You really believe in those things?" The youkai chuckled in amusement. "There's actually something about you that's childish. That's good!"

"It's not a childish belief." Bi-dam insisted. "It actually happens!"

Dokugakuji snorted. "Yeah, and you're three times older than me."

If only he knew. Bi-dam thought with a sweatdrop.

_Know about what?_

While suppressing his alarm, Bi-dam pretended to not hear Sora's mental question and privately noted to himself that he should be more careful about his thoughts.

"I'm not childish?" Bi-dam asked the youkai aloud while poking a stone with a random stick he found on the ground. "I don't act like a kid?"

"Well yeah, normal eight-year-olds don't hack up scary youkai that's ten times their size as if it were nothing. Actually, a kid like you shouldn't be on the battlefield. Seeing all this blood without getting scared is a pretty huge feat." Dokugakuji told him. "When I was your age, I played near the river and wrestled."

Bi-dam nodded. "Yeah, I saw many kids my age doing things like that."

"So why aren't you?"

Bi-dam poked the rock again. "I'm the man of the house. My dad disappeared before I was born so it's just my mom and I. Driving away the youkai was always the oldest male in the household's duty. I'm technically the oldest so they allowed me to join. It was a little scary at first, but I got used to it after a while." Bi-dam frowned. "They thought I would die first so they always put me in the front lines in hopes that I would perish earlier. They didn't like my red hair."

"Well that's not very nice of them." Dokugakuji's frown mirrored Bi-dam's. "What did your mother do about it?"

"Mom tried to convince them that I was too young. They didn't care. Why would they when they wanted me gone? Grandfather, who was the elder of our village, demanded that I should do my responsibility as the illegitimate heir to the blacksmithing arts by continuing my slaughter." Bi-dam smiled. "He wanted me dead too."

_Why are you smiling like that? What your Grandfather did was terrible!_ He heard Sora shriek. Bi-dam mentally rolled his eyes. It's a stupid bully attempt. Why should I be bothered? It's not like it's uncommon.

_Yeah, but…_

You have to admit that my life was far better than yours. You guys were hunted down like animals and killed every year because they didn't look at you as an intellectual being.

No argument there

"I almost died." Bi-dam murmured. "On the third week, I almost died and everyone who was nearby just **watched**."

Dokugakuji's sharp eyes caught the tightening of Bi-dam's hold on the stick. "You know kid, you don't have to-

"But I lived." Bi-dam interrupted, ignoring the youkai's attempts in stopping him. It wasn't that he trusted the youkai, but he wanted Sora to hear this."I survived against everyone else's beliefs. But since then, everyone became afraid of me. They wanted me gone so Mom simply packed her bags and left with me without looking back."

_What made them so afraid?_

Bi-dam shuffled through his memories and showed Sora a scene. As he expected, she gasped in shock and horror at the scene.

Youkai heads, arms, legs, guts, and blood was spilled everywhere, staining the once brown mud into a dark red. In the middle of it all was a younger Bi-dam, kneeling there with a sword three times his size limply in his grip and tears running down his blood-splattered face.

_And they just…watched the whole time?_

Yeah.

Bi-dam could feel disgust rolling down the hanyou. He sent soothing, comforting emotions as well as gratitude in her direction for caring despite of knowing each other for only a day.

Bi-dam traced something on the ground and pointed at it. "I saw the Monkey-girl playing this with Miss Yaone. It looks interesting. Can you teach me how to play this?"

Dokugakuji took the stick from Bi-dam with a small grin. He showed no indication that he was bothered by what he just heard. Bi-dam had to squint to see that Dokugakuji was still a little upset. Grudgingly, Bi-dam mentally applauded the youkai for his ability to hide his emotions so well for a child's sake. "This, my apprentice, is called Tic-Tac-Toe. Are you willing to learn?"

"Yes, Master!" Bi-dam went along with the youkai's antics. He watched intently as he was taught the simple children's game. A small, foreign, warm feeling spread through his stomach when he lost in his first try though the childish side of him stomped his foot in frustration.

Bi-dam's thoughts paused for moment before replaying that statement.

He _lost._

Because of the nine lives of experience in his head, he rarely made a mistake in his life. Bi-dam never felt as human as he did now. It was slightly exhilarating. The eight-year-old part of Bi-dam, the part of him that would have been if it weren't for his memories of past lives, suddenly yearned to act and be normal. Bi-dam roughly shoved that part of him back into the deep parts of his mind.

Those thoughts were childish and unnecessary.

_This scene looks like a father teaching his son to play something._ Sora randomly commented. Bi-dam mind-shrugged. Yeah, it does, doesn't it? But if I ever meet that good-for-nothing father of mine, I'll punch his face for leaving Mom all alone to take care of me the moment I meet him.

_Ouch. You're pretty strong so I bet it would hurt a lot._

Dokugakuji sneezed.

"Someone thought something nasty about you." Bi-dam informed him while circling a blank spot. Dokugakuji intercepted his victory by putting his 'x' beside it.

"Still going on about that?"

* * *

><p>Pain<p>

Searing pain

_Irritating_ pain

Sanzo forced his eyes open and growled when light hit his eyes. While still keeping his eyes closed, the priest hoisted his body up to an upright position. Before he could get off the bed he was in, someone rushed to his side and gently pushed him back down. "You are in no condition to move around, Kouryuu. Rest."

Sanzo scowled in irritation. By now, his eyes weren't as sensitive to the light so he was able to see that Suzume's arms were crossed with a 'no-nonsense' expression. "You broke three ribs and you have bruises all over your abdomen. I think you have a concussion too. Does your head ache?"

"The youkai bastard?"

"Dead and gone. Now, about your head-

Sanzo interrupted her. "I have a headache 24/7 because of that annoying monkey! How the hell am I supposed to know if it's from a concussion or not?"

Suzume suppressed a smile. "Your head aches _more_ than usual?"

Sanzo scowled but relaxed back into the bed. "Fine…smart-aleck." He muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, Kouryuu." Suzume pretended to be upset and lightly punched his shoulder. "Meanie."

"Good."

Suzume pushed a bowl of…something onto Sanzo's lap. "Medicine."

"Like I'll eat that crap." Sanzo pushed the bowl away warily. Suzume pushed it back. "If you want to get better faster, you need to take your medicine. Don't worry. I handpicked all of these herbs so they're safe."

"Like that would make anything better. Do you even know what you put in there?" Sanzo asked while sniffing the contents suspiciously. Almost immediately, he drew back in disgust.

Suzume automatically began listing down the medicine's contents. Sanzo was incredulous at the length at first but then he realized that she was serious. The long list of words made Sanzo's head spin.

And spinning heads equaled to worse headaches.

"Okay STOP! I get it! You know what you're doing." Sanzo snapped irritably. "What are you, a nurse?"

"A miko is supposed to know her herbs to heal the wounded after a youkai attack, so yes, you can say I'm one." Suzume affirmed with a small nod. She then pinched Sanzo's nose, opened his mouth, and expertly poured all the medicine into the monk's mouth before he could blink. Sanzo swallowed in surprise before making a face. "That tasted disgusting."

Suzume laughed. "You are no different than the children I had to treat back home! Really Kouryuu, you act like a child for a man who 'hates brats'."

"Shut up."

She simply smiled and handed him a cup of tea. "Well, at least we have one thing finished. Disrobe please."

Sanzo began to choke. While spluttering, he gave Suzume an incredulous look. "What? WHY?"

Suzume…Sanzo didn't really take his childhood friend as the sort to do this out of the blue. She was usually serious. All miko were supposed to be like that. What came over her to ask him to _undress in front of her_? This wasn't like her. Hell! It was as if she was a completely different person! Was she possessed? There might be a chance that…no, she wouldn't be possessed so easily. She's a high priestess! No, it must be something else. Was she acting like this because of the Holy Agreement? Yes, the Holy Agreement required them to act as if they were married, but that didn't mean they had…skin contact rights! They still had to keep 'pure' and 'clean'. She was normally squeamish over these things! How was he going to react?

What should he say? What should he **do**?

"So I can change your bandages, of course." She stated simply. "Why else?"

"…"

"Kouryuu?"

"…"

* * *

><p>"How hard is it to find a little kid?!" Gojyo fumed. Goku reluctantly agreed with the kappa for once. But only this once! Kasumi sniffed the air. "He isn't far, Gojyo-nii. Just trust me on this, 'kay? It's not easy trying to sniff out one person in a battlefield."<p>

"Yeah! Give Kasumi some slack! I bet she's smelling all this yucky things for us and all you're doing is complaining!" Goku snapped despite mentally complaining himself. Gojyo gave him the evil eye.

"Oh, don't you start pointing fingers at me, Monkey Boy. Wasn't it you who complained about being hungry five minutes ago?"

Sensing another fight coming, Kasumi shoved herself between the two. "Fight and I'll tell Aoi that both of you wasted time." Kasumi solemnly promised. Gojyo shivered at the mention of the demonslayer and immediately snapped his mouth shut and walked on. Goku smiled in victory but sobered up once he saw the flat look Kasumi sent his way. The fox hanyou couldn't help but sigh. Even _she _got a little impatient in the lack of progress in their search for Bi-dam.

Kasumi sniffed the air again and her ears perked up. The next words that came out of her mouth sounded almost like a saving prayer to Goku and Gojyo's ears.

"Hey! I caught Bi-dam's scent!"

* * *

><p>Aoi groaned and opened her eyes. "<em>Kami,<em> what fat ass danced on my head when I was asleep?"

Giggles sounded around Aoi's head and she quickly sat up. The demonslayer grunted in surprise when a small body slammed into hers. "Aoi-nee! You're awake!"

Many other faces came into Aoi's view. She smiled sheepishly when she saw Yuhwa and Hakkai's faces amongst them. Knowing those two, they were probably going to give her an earful for scaring them.

Wait, what happened anyways?

Blinking in confusion, Aoi tried to sit up but was hindered by Kiku, who was clinging onto her waist and blubbering apologies.

Why was she apologizing again?

A cool cloth was pressed onto her forehead. "I know you're a bit confused, Aoi, but you have to remember what happened. A survivor of the Chinese Army attacked you. You were killed…_again. _Then you turned into _that _form and killed the youkai. Hakkai saw. You passed out."

At those words, memories suddenly flowed into Aoi's mind. She winced at the onslaught of memories but she forced herself to focus.

Then the weight of Yuhwa's words crashed into Aoi's mind.

Hakkai saw her.

Hakkai _saw _her.

Aoi froze and her body became tense. Kiku, being the observant little bat hanyou she was, felt this and her sensitive ears heard her heart beat faster than usual.

"Aoi-nee? Are you okay?"

"…Yeah. I'm fine, honey, just tired." Aoi lied. Kiku believed her and smiled. "Please get better, big sister. Thank you for saving my life! I bet Mister Hakkai will fix any boo boos that you have!"

Yuhwa smiled and patted Kiku's head. "Kiku dear, why don't you shoo the other children away so Aoi can get her rest? I'm sure she's still tired from beating up that big bad youkai."

Kiku enthusiastically obeyed and the room cleared within moments.

Aoi scowled at her friend. "You're as sneaky as ever. Using innocent little children now?"

"You know that this is necessary-and Hakkai, don't even _think _about leaving this room. We have things to discuss and explain."

Hakkai paused his walking and backpedaled his way back to Aoi's bed with a sheepish look on his face. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry Yuhwa…I was simply obeying young Kiku's orders." Hakkai said innocently. Yuhwa rolled her eyes but allowed this to slide for the moment. There were much more important things to talk about. "Whatever. I think you deserve to be a little more enlightened about Aoi's…situation." Yuhwa looked at Aoi. "Aoi will be the one who will tell you everything, and I mean _everything_ now Aoi."

Aoi looked down and her expression darkened. "Why don't you just shoot me now with that stupid monk's gun? It'll give me some relief from this torture."

Yuhwa gave her friend a look.

"Fine! Just leave the two of us alone so I can tell doc everything without you being that creepy onlooker!" Aoi spat. Yuhwa held up her hands in surrender. "I'll be waiting outside. It seems that Kasumi, Goku, and Gojyo aren't back with Bi-dam yet."

"Just leave!"

Yuhwa did.

As the door closed, an awkward silence fell between them. Hakkai cleared his throat and looked at the open window. "Ah…the setting sun looks nice. It's too bad that this nice day was ruined by those youkai."

Aoi appreciated Hakkai's attempt in making her more comfortable by acting as casual as possible though she knew he thought differently of her now. He was probably cringing away from her in fear in the inside.

They all did in the end.

"…Ask away, Hakkai." Aoi said in a defeated tone. "I'll tell you everything. Just ask."

Hakkai nodded. "Can you start by telling me what a Hanatsuki is?"

"Hanatsuki…hmm, that's easy to define. A Hanatsuki is a human who has a youkai's heart implanted into their chest. They can be identified by the unique flower-like mark on their chest. They're considered cursed because of their inability to die." Aoi droned as if rehearsing a line from a play. "They are despicable creatures who wanted too much power for nothing is more powerful than a youkai's heart."

_There, _Aoi thought_, he knows. Now he's going to leave._

But he didn't.

"I see." Hakkai said calmly, "But there seems to be more to this than some definition. Can you explain your situation to me?"

Aoi couldn't help but gape at him.

"Well?"

Aoi snapped her mouth shut and blinked quickly before opening her mouth again to speak. "I'm a Hanatsuki. Can't you see, Hakkai? I sinned the most grievous sin that a demonslayer would commit and that is to live off of the exact power that we're trying to obliterate: Youkai."

"Yes, yes, you mentioned that before and I'm aware of what you are. But I want to hear _your _view in this story, not views from some people who I definitely don't care about." Hakkai explained patiently. He lifted his eyes to hers and held them there firmly. "I want to hear how you came to become a Hanatsuki."

Aoi's lips trembled a little as she took a small breath. "I was born with a weak heart so it was clear that I wasn't going to live long. My parents didn't want me to die so they desperately took the heart of a youkai infant and…"

Aoi choked.

"It was a _baby_, Hakkai. They killed it so I could live," Aoi murmured in horror and self-disgust. "This heart belonged to someone else and they couldn't live their life properly because I took it."

"But that wasn't the part that made me upset." Aoi admitted. "It was the fact that they convinced me that I was some miracle baby who was blessed by some god of flowers. I was actually foolish enough to believe them."

She loosened her shirt enough to make her mark visible. "This pretty birthmark was actually a brand that told others that I was cursed. My parents told me not to show it to anyone because they claimed that they didn't want anyone else to see how beautiful it was. They told me that they were afraid that youkai would take me away because of my pretty flower."

A bitter smile crossed her face. "I didn't really listen to them, my first mistake. Hanatsuki are like flowers so what were the butterflies?"

Hakkai didn't answer.

"Youkai. Youkai are drawn to the exotic smell of a youkai heart pumping human blood. Since I got this heart, hordes and hordes of youkai became attracted to my village. Many people died protecting the village, protecting _me. _This heart doesn't make me human anymore. Remember how my eyes turned silver? That was influenced by the youkai's heart." Aoi explained. "I guess you can call me a youkai-human hybrid. Though that doesn't make me a hanyou."

Aoi's eyes became distant as if she was remembering something. "I was stupid and I showed the wrong person my mark. I trusted that person too easily and many people died because of my foolishness."

_It's my fault._

"At yet, I still want to live." Aoi's bangs shadowed her eyes. "I truly am a monster."

"You are not a monster, Aoi. You are a wonderful, charming, _beautiful _woman with a talent of making young children smile."

Hakkai took Aoi's hand and smiled. "I don't think any more differently than I did before, Aoi. This was how you always were so I accept that. You are still Aoi, no?"

Aoi suddenly let out a cry and a broken sob.

Since when had a man told her that he accepted her ugly form? Since when had a man not turned away in disgust once upon discovering her secret and called her beautiful?

Never

Never until now

"I was given an indestructible life by my parents." Aoi confessed. "And not once did they think to ask me if I wanted it."

"_Not once _did anyone ask me if I wanted to do anything. They gave me everything and I appreciate that but they never thought that it was necessary to ask me if I wanted it."

Hakkai listened with a pensive look on his face until the end of her rant and suddenly drew Aoi into his arms, effectively silencing her into shock. He gently cradled her as if she was a baby.

Hakkai didn't look as she cried into his shirt. Aoi was a strong woman and he knew she wanted him to always view her that way. In respect to her strong spirit, Hakkai didn't look at her face. Hakkai didn't say anything.

"Hakkai?" Aoi hiccupped after a good length of crying. "Thank you for listening." _And for staying with me even though I'm not natural._

"Not a problem." Hakkai assured her airily. "In fact, I'm a bit relieved. For once, I feel that I'm starting to truly get to know you. Is this what girls call 'bonding moments'?"

Aoi sniffled and laughed.

Hakkai looked off to a wall while rhythmically patting her back in comfort.

"Let me tell you a story."

Aoi drew back and gave Hakkai a quizzical look. Hakkai smiled. "Humor me please. I'd like to tell you a story."

"…Okay. What is it about?"

Something flashed across the healer's eyes.

"It's about a man named Gonou and the things he did."

* * *

><p>Hakkai told Aoi everything as if it was a bedtime story. He pretended it was some fictional tale that didn't really happen.<p>

He wished it didn't happen.

He began Gonou's tale with his thousand sins. He told her about the Centipede King and how Gonou slaughtered many villagers and youkai alike. He told her how, with the thousand youkai's blood, Gonou turned into a youkai.

At first, Aoi didn't get it. She listened, but it wasn't long before she began to catch on. She was a smart woman, so that was to be expected. She listened with rapt attention and held onto every word.

Hakkai told her everything.

Well, everything except Kanan. She was the only part that made his sins seem _okay,_ justified. He did it for the woman he loved. That part of the story seemed to sway people's hearts into feeling pity for him instead of anger and hatred.

He left her out to see her reaction.

"-And the criminal Gonou finally faced justice in the Temple of the Setting Sun. He died. The End." Hakkai finished.

"That was a depressing story." Aoi stated. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep knowing that Gonou lived a sad life."

"Do you hate him for what he did?" Hakkai asked. "Or do you pity him?"

Aoi snorted. "Neither. He wasn't a villain so I can't hate him but he wasn't a hero either. He's just a person I don't know. But I understand him…so I can say that I feel his pain." Aoi sighed. "And I sort of wish he was alive so I can talk to him. That would make me less lonely, you know?"

Gods, she really was sent by the higher beings, wasn't she?

Hakkai looked at Aoi and slowly lifted his hand to her face. Aoi didn't stop him. When his hand cupped a cheek, Aoi leaned into it. Hakkai marveled at how her face fit into his hand so perfectly. He marveled at how beautiful she was, with her blue hair all messy and her eyes swollen by the recently shed tears.

He didn't kiss her. He just admired her face, her personality, and her past.

He admired her.

Aoi

She wasn't Kanan, but Hakkai couldn't help but ask a question that was pulling at his mind since her eyes turned silver.

"Do you want to live, Aoi?" He wondered.

A fierce look flashed across Aoi's brown eyes.

"_Yes."_

Hakkai stared at her for a moment before bursting into light laughter. The demonslayer stared at the healer as if he grew a third head, but he didn't pay any heed and kept laughing. The thought that a strong woman like Aoi would wish death seemed ridiculous now that he saw that expression on her face.

What a relief. She wasn't going to die any soon.

Oh dear, it seemed that Hakkai wasn't going to ever let go of the demonslayer any soon. Not ever.

Now, to win her youkai heart…

* * *

><p>"Kouryuu, why aren't you talking to me?"<p>

Suzume didn't understand at all. Why wasn't her childhood friend talking to her? She knew he was easily angered, more so now than then, but she had absolutely no idea what made him so _grouchy _all of the sudden.

Sanzo huffed under his breath and turned the newspaper. "Forget it."

Suzume really hoped that he would cheer up soon and _explain_.

* * *

><p>Chung groaned in pain as he dragged himself through the corpses of the recently slain youkai. Well, he was alive, so he shouldn't complain.<p>

_Thank you great Buddha for allowing your humble student to survive. _He thought gratefully.

A pair of shoes suddenly stepped in front of his face. "Hmm? Ah! It seems that I found a surviving local! And a monk! How lucky!" A voice said cheerfully.

Chung felt himself being lifted up and carried, which was a great feat since he was so fat. Not that he was fat. "Who are you? Where are you taking me?"

"Eh? No 'thank you' for me? How rude." The person said with a pout. Looking closer, Chung realized that the person helping him was a child with a beautiful face. If it weren't for the child's clothes, Chung would've mistaken him for a girl. "But to answer your question, I'm going to take you to the closest inn to treat your wounds."

"Are you a doctor's apprentice?" Chung asked cautiously.

The child giggled. "Nope! I used to be a painter's apprentice but my teacher got eaten about a week ago. I know a little acupuncture, but that's it!"

Chung scowled and somehow found the strength to rip himself away from the child's grasp. "There is no way I'm going to leave myself in the hands of an imprudent child!"

The child shrugged. "Suit yourself, Mister Monk."

Chung began to march off but hesitated. "…If you want to go to a safe inn, there is one twenty stone-throws away straight ahead."

The child blinked in surprise.

"Huh? How nice of you to tell me the inn's location, Mister Monk. I'll remember your kindness. My name is Yong-soo."

"Yong-soo? That doesn't sound Chinese at all." Chung huffed. Yong-soo shook his head as if he was ashamed for the monk. Perhaps he was.

"Mister, I'm not Chinese. I'm Korean."

Chung really didn't care where the brat was from, frankly. But he _was _a kindred soul who saved a monk's life, so he turned his back to the boy and said:

"I made an honest mistake."

That was about the closest to an apology that any human being was going to get from the stubborn monk, unfortunately. It's in his nature.

But Chung _really _was trying to be kind.

When there was no reply, however, Chung began to get angry. How _dare_ the child not respond to his honest apology? He turned back and opened his mouth to give the child a what-for only to find that there was nothing to yell at.

Chung's face turned purple.

"_He wasn't listening to me at all!"_

"_**Brat!"**_

* * *

><p>It took a while for Yuhwa to find the lost trio, but she found them.<p>

Now Yuhwa was a strong woman. She was a blacksmith, for crying out loud! But she was human too, a setback amongst the supernatural group. Her son, Bi-dam, was also more fragile than the other children and that fact worried her.

Why didn't she make him stay by her side?

Yuhwa trusted Kasumi to quickly find her son. It was the other two that she had doubts about. No, she didn't think Gojyo would purposefully slack off on the search, but she noticed that the Monkey-Child and he fought…_a lot_.

Surprisingly, she found the three diligently looking around the landscape by the time she got there. She had expected at least some grumbling or insults, but everything was silent.

Yuhwa went behind Gojyo and tapped him on the shoulder. "Did you find him yet?"

"Gah!"

Gojyo jumped at least two feet from the ground in fright and the cigarette he was smoking fell out of his mouth. Goku began to laugh.

Kasumi giggled and smiled apologetically at Yuhwa. "I can smell him, but he moves around a lot. It's a good thing that he has Sora with him, or I would've lost him ages ago."

"Sora?"

"She's one of my hanyou children and Kiku's older sister." Kasumi explained. "She's a good fighter, so I'm sure that she kept Bi-dam safe."

Yuhwa sighed in relief. "Well, at least I'm sure my little boy is safe."

"I know you're still worried. No need to pretend in front of us…especially in front of me." Kasumi informed Yuhwa apologetically. "As I said before, Bi-dam isn't that far away. Nothing in his emotions tell me that he's panicking or in trouble."

Kasumi put her hand on Yuhwa's shoulder. "He's your son. And he looks and acts a lot like Gojyo-nii, too! So there's no doubt that he's being calm and smart about his situation just like Gojyo would! Right Gojyo?"

Kasumi looked expectantly at the red-haired hanyou. Gojyo blushed and looked at the opposite direction. "Psh, of course I would. I always do."

Cough "Liar" Cough

Kasumi innocently turned to Goku. "Are you okay, Goku? You're not catching a cold, are you?"

Goku grinned. "Nope! I just had to clear my throat!" He suddenly took Kasumi's hand. "Look! I bet that pathway leads to a clearing! I bet Bi-dam's that way!"

Goku dragged Kasumi ahead, leaving Gojyo alone with Yuhwa.

Gojyo glared daggers at the back of Goku's retreating figure. Why that little-

"Enthusiastic little thing, isn't he?" Yuhwa suddenly commented, breaking Gojyo's angry train of thought. "I think he'll be the perfect playmate for Bi-dam."

Gojyo snorted. "Nope. If that kid's anything like me, he'd be annoyed by that Monkey in no time."

Yuhwa nodded distractedly. "Yes…he would."

Gojyo was no emotion-detector, but he could tell when a woman was worried and Yuhwa, without a doubt, was worried. Gojyo always knew what to do when it came to women, but Yuhwa was his _sister_, family, a completely foreign subject for the hanyou who had to depend on himself before and after his mother's death.

Well, _step_mother.

But that was completely changing the subject. The fact was: For the first time, smooth talking, womanizing, sarcastic, Gojyo was struggling on what to do or say to his older, half-sister.

_Dammit. It wasn't supposed to be this hard._

Gojyo coughed. "Um, sorry about not finding him sooner…sis."

Yuhwa smiled warmly at Gojyo's awkward attempt in recognizing her as a family member. She stood on her tiptoes and patted him on the head. "It's _fine_, little brother. He's a strong boy but he tends to get lost frequently. It's not surprising that you didn't find him yet." She winked at him. "But if you feel that bad, why don't you try spending time with him? He grew up without his father so I'm sure it'll be nice for him to spend some time with a male relative significantly older than him."

"Well, I'd do a better job than the Monkey, that's for sure."

"That's right, that's right!"

The two chuckled simultaneously.

"HEY! KAPPA! WE FOUND BI-DAM! AND GUESS WHO ELSE WE FOUND?" Goku yelled, completely shattering the silence and surprising a good amount of birds from its perch.

Gojyo smirked when he recognized Dokugakuji's form. He was about to wave but he stopped in confusion at the look of complete shock on the youkai's face. Gojyo cautiously looked around for any enemies but no one was there.

Then he realized Yuhwa was beside him wearing the same expression. Gojyo wanted to slap himself. _Of course,_ the two were lovers. How the hell did he forget that?

"Let's leave them alone." Kasumi suggested quietly from behind him. She gently herded him and Goku away. "They haven't seen each other for a while."

* * *

><p>Seconds, it only took seconds before Dokugakuji was in front of the shocked Korean. He tentatively touched her face as if she was going to disappear or end up being some twisted illusion.<p>

Years. It was years since he last saw her. It was around the beginning of the war between the Chinese Youkai and the inhabitants of Japan when Yuhwa's father took her away. He was enraged when he discovered that his daughter fell in love with a _youkai _of all things. He dragged his daughter and the rest of the family to Japan. It was bad enough that his wife had an affair with a youkai. Her father wasn't going to risk another hanyou to be brought into the world.

Dokugakuji thought she died when he heard that the ship she and her family took was destroyed by a storm.

Thank the gods that wasn't the case.

The youkai grabbed the Korean and squeezed her tightly with a hug. "_Yuhwa_."

Yuhwa, now recovering from her shock, looked as if she was going to cry. "_Jien._"

"You're _alive_." Dokugakuji went on. "I thought you were dead."

"Dead? You thought _I _died?"

"Yes, your father-

A dark look crossed their faces simultaneously.

"Oh. _Father._"

Yuhwa bitterly smiled. Of course it would be her father to ruin things. Yuhwa _had_ thought it was strange that her father didn't take the first ship.

"Father." Yuhwa growled under her breath. "How lucky you are that you're already dead or I would have gone against everything that I was taught about filial piety."

That old man never knew when to stop with his decades-old grudge, did he? Yuhwa knew that her mother's affair with Jien's father and her death broke his poor heart, but did he have to ruin her own happiness in the process? Because of the bitterness in his heart, the old fool didn't realize what he had lost. His very own grandson, though a hanyou, was the best blacksmith in the east despite his young age. He was charming. He was polite. He was strong.

He was of youkai blood, but he had her father's blood. Why couldn't he see that?

Then, she remembered.

Bi-dam. Jien didn't know about Bi-dam.

"Jien." She urgently said. "When my father forced me to Japan, I wasn't the only one who was forced away from you."

"What?" A perplexed look crossed the youkai's face. Not the only one? What was she talking about?

Yuhwa took her lover's hand and rested it on her abdomen. It didn't hold the wonderful treasure in it since she gave birth to the said treasure eight years ago, but the act was symbolic enough for even dense Jien to understand. A beautiful smile spread across the blacksmith's face as she told the overdue news to the father of her child.

"I was pregnant, Jien. With _your _child."

There was a heavy silence that settled between the two to the point of it being extremely awkward for the Korean. Did she break the news to suddenly? Oh dear, what if he didn't want a child?

"….What?"

That wasn't Jien's voice. Both Yuhwa and Doku looked up in surprise to see Bi-dam and Sora. Yuhwa smiled warmly at her son. "Bi-dam."

Bi-dam looked as if someone played a terrible joke on him. Sora could only look at her hanyou friend as he struggled for the proper emotion.

"Mom, is it true? Is this…youkai my father?"

Yuhwa nodded a bit hesitantly since the expression on her son's face looked like pure horror instead of the joy she had expected. "Yes."

* * *

><p>"Yuki-sama, please rest. You've been sitting outside the Demon slayer's room for a while now. I'm sure that your friend is fine and well."<p>

The crow youkai begged for the thousandth time but just like the last nine hundred and ninety nine times, Yuki just ignored him. She absent-mindedly played with an uneaten apple.

Fancy that. Yuki had an apple and not even a part of the _skin_ was nibbled on.

Komu's concern was now justified.

"Yuki-sama~" He began to whine but was interrupted by a knife (the gods know _where _that came from) that landed precariously near his left wing. He gulped loudly. "A-Ah…do not mind me, my Lady. I'm just a foolish, insignificant youkai who overstepped his bounds."

"Shut up Komu or I'll actually pluck all your feathers out and make you my dinner."

"Yes." Komu snapped his mouth shut and fluttered away, muttering to himself as he went.

Yuki lent back against the doorframe from outside Aoi's room.

Seeing Aoi's pale and still form being carried in was by far the scariest thing she's ever seen. For a second, Yuki thought that she lost her _again_.

_She was the first to fall out of the six of them._

Yuki shook her head stubbornly. Like _hell _she was going to allow that to happen again. This time was different. This time, she wasn't some cooped-up, naïve girl. She was stronger. She was prepared.

A traitorous little voice whispered in the back of her mind, _Yet, Aoi got hurt._

A shadow fell upon Yuki's eyes as her head lowered shamefully.

Aoi got hurt.

And she still couldn't do anything.

"I'm such a failure." Yuki muttered to herself was she buried her head onto her lap.

The apple remained untouched.

* * *

><p>Bi-dam didn't know what to feel at the moment.<p>

Dokugakuji, the youkai who taught him how to play tic-tac-toe was his father.

His _father_

How should he feel about this?

He wanted to feel happy for his mother since it was apparent that she loved the man. Though his mother believed him to be dead, Bi-dam had a feeling that he was still out there. His grandfather dropped so many 'subtle' hints about his father still being alive that it was painfully apparent.

The mature side of Bi-dam, the side that went through many cycles of remembered reincarnation, had known that the right thing to do was to inform his mother about this.

Yet, a childish part of him had wanted to keep her for himself. He didn't want to share this precious love with a stranger who failed to raise him during his eight years of life.

Surprisingly, the childish part of him had won in that inner struggle. Yet, despite his failure in telling his mother about his father's survival, fate had decided to bring both of them to China.

And now, his father was right in front of him.

Is this what they call karma?

_What are you going to do now?_ Sora asked him tentatively.

That was the easy part.

Bi-dam stormed over to the warrior called Dokugakuji and sucker-punched him on the face as promised.

* * *

><p>Yeah...so that's sort of it for now.<p>

To make some things clear:

The character, Yong-soo, wouldn't be very important for a couple of chapters. It depends where my imagination takes me. But he's still important.

Bi-dam is a pretty complex character. Like all the characters in Saiyuki, he was reincarnated. But, unlike everyone else, he remembers his last ten lives and is struggling to find his own identity. Because of his situation, he has a century's worth of experience and knowledge. He also has random flashbacks about his old life so watch out for that.

Sora has a unique ability to see the dead. How and why she's able to do this will be disclosed in future chapters.

If there's any other confusion, please don't be shy and ask!

(Again, I'm sorry for the wait. Really, I am.)


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